A Novel Microelectrode Array Probe Integrated with Electrophysiology Reference Electrode for Neural Recording

Abstract:

Nowadays, the study of brain function is advanced by implantable microelectrode arrays for they can simultaneously record signals from different groups of neurons regarding complex neural processes. This article presents the fabrication, characterization and use in vivo neural recording of an implantable microelectrode array probe which integrated with electrophysiology reference electrode. The probe was implemented on Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafer using Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) methods, so the recording-site configurations and high-density electrode placement could be precisely defined. The 16 recording sites and the reference electrode were made of platinum. Double layers of platinum electrodes were used so that the width of the reference electrode was as small as 6 μm. The average impedance of the microelectrodes was 0.13 MΩ at 1 kHz. The probe has been employed to record the neural signals of rat, and the results showed that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the novel probe was as high as 10 and the ordinary probe was 3. Among the 16 recording sites, there are 9 effective sites having recorded useful signals for the probe with reference electrode and 6 for the ordinary probe.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volumes 562-565)
• Pages: 67-73
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.562-565.67
• Online since: July 2013
• Authors: Wen Jing Wei, Yi Lin Song, Wen Tao Shi, Chun Xiu Liu, Ting Jun Jiang, Xin Xia Cai
• Keywords: Implanted Electrodes, MEMS, Neural Recording, Reference Electrode

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