Material considerations for in vitro neural interface technology
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rations for in vitro neural interface technology Yoonkey Nam MRS Bulletin / Volume 37 / Issue 06 / June 2012, pp 566 572 Copyright © Materials Research Society 2012 Published online by Cambridge University Press: June 2012 DOI: 10.1557/mrs.2012.98
Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S088376941200098X How to cite this article: Yoonkey Nam (2012). Material considerations for in vitro neural interface technology. MRS Bulletin,37, pp 566572 doi:10.1557/mrs.2012.98 Request Permissions : Click here
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Material considerations for in vitro neural interface technology Yoonkey Nam As biological science advances, there is a need for new technical tools to study biological matters. In neuroscience, new knowledge on the nervous system is discovered through biological experiments carried out under in vitro conditions. As experiments become more delicate, the technical requirements also increase. Recent advances in nano- and microscale technologies have increased the applicability of new emerging technology to neurobiology and neural engineering. As a result, many materials that were not originally developed for neural interfaces have become attractive candidates to sense neural signals, stimulate neurons, and grow nerve cells for tissue engineering. This article focuses on the material requirements for in vitro neural interfaces and introduces materials that are used to design various neural interface platforms in vitro.
Sensing, stimulating, and growing neurons in a dish In neuroscience, cells or tissues are often used under in vitro or ex vivo conditions as model systems to study the brain. Neurobiologists are able to separate cells or a piece of intact tissue from specific regions of the brain and grow them in a dish (cell culture).1 Depending on the neurobiological field in question, the biological model systems are highly specialized. To study the signaling mechanism in learning and memory, brain slices or embryonic neurons isolated from the areas implicated in these processes, such as the hippocampus, are used.2 To understand the regulation of circadian rhythm in the mammalian brain, a group of neurons from the biological clock region known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus are used.3 In case of applied neuroscience research such as the restoration of vision, retinal slices or retinal ganglion cells are used as a tissue model.4 Establishing working biological model systems is an important driving force in neurobiology, and interdisciplinary approaches are empowering advances in neuroscience and engineering. There has been a strong need for innovative technologies to improve existing in vitro neural tissue culture platforms. The major issues for current platforms are the quality of measured neural signals, spatial precision of neural stimulation, and more accurately reproducing in vivo cellular environments in a dish. Innovations can emerge from three different aspects, namely sensing, stimulating, and growin
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