Soft and Flexible Bioelectronics for Brain-Computer Interfaces
Dr. Siyuan Zhao
Date: February 8, 2024
Time: 16.30
Place: Zoom
https://zoom.us/j/3750698016?pwd=YXhhNWNsUHBCdXJvMWI0R201ZGo0QT09&omn=92639551011
Zoom ID: 375 069 8016
Pass: 505709
Abstract: Stably recording the electrical activity of the same neurons across all relevant timescales is important for understanding the neural activity associated with memory and aging, enhancing brain-computer interface performance, and investigating neurological disorders. However, current implantable devices cannot provide stable recordings over long timescales due to mechanical and structural disparities between brain tissue and devices. Furthermore, these devices are incompatible with clinical imaging techniques of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), due to differences in magnetic susceptibility.
In this talk, I will first introduce flexible and soft bioelectronics with tissue-like properties, capable of tracking the electrical activity of the same neurons in the brains of behaving animals throughout their entire adult lives. Specifically, I will describe a method for the precise implantation of bioelectronics, which features an open, unfolded mesh structure, across multiple brain regions in mice, thereby preventing probe drift during year-long recordings. Second, I will discuss the fundamental limitations of the electrochemical stability of bioelectronic materials and present our strategies to overcome these limitations, enabling a three-dimensional bioelectronics platform for long-term stable neural electrophysiology in the nervous system. Third, I will present highly MRI-compatible electrodes for simultaneous whole-brain functional MRI and deep brain stimulation (DBS), to reveal the full neuromodulatory effects of DBS in an animal disease model. Finally, I will discuss future advances in developing and applying these electronics for the long-term monitoring and treatment of neurological disorders.