Multifunctional implantable probes based on conducting polymer devices – PolyProbe

PolyProbe is submitted as the continuation of the project MUSIC (Multisensing polymer transistors for in vivo recording), in which we developed implantable microarrays capable of simultaneous recording of electrophysiology and metabolism. MUSIC has been particularly successful. Among its achievements was the use, for the first time, of a transistor to record brain activity. We demonstrated that using a transistor, as opposed to an electrode, yields recordings with exceptionally high signal-to-noise ratio. In PolyProbe we propose the integration of these transistors with organic electronic ion pumps, a recently-invented device capable of drug delivery with exquisite spatiotemporal accuracy. The resulting probe will allow the simultaneous recording from an exceptionally large number of neurons and, at the same time, provide the ability to interfere with neural circuits at a local scale. As such it promises to have a significant impact on neuroscience research by providing unique opportunities in physiology (understanding cognitive processes under physiological conditions) and pathology (diagnosing and treating of epilepsy). The EMSE partner, with expertise in organic bioelectronics and microfabrication will lead the prototyping of the probe. The AMU partner, with expertise in cognition and epilepsy, will provide validation in rats. They will use the probe to explore the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of functional connectivity maps in the hippocampus of control and epileptic rats. The inhibitory transmitter GABA will be pumped out on demand to try to interfere with epilepsy. The corporate partner, Microvitae, will be closely involved in both tasks and will design the electronic interface and pursue the commercialization of the probes for basic research applications.