Transparent, flexible, low-noise electrodes for simultaneous electrophysiology and neuro-imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10791946-B2
Application number	US-201515300471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 3, 2014
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A flexible, optically transparent electrode array comprises at least one graph electrode. The electrode may be positioned on a substrate. The flexible, optically transparent electrode may be used for simultaneous optical imaging and electrophysiological monitoring.

First claim

We claim:

1. A transparent, flexible neural electrode array device comprising:
a flexible substrate;
a plurality of graphene electrodes formed on the flexible substrate; and
a plurality of wires,
each wire of the plurality of wires being in electronic communication with a graphene electrode associated with that wire,
at least some of the plurality of wires comprising graphene, and
the flexible substrate, electrodes, and the plurality of wires being optically transparent.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically insulating material disposed about the flexible substrate, the electrically insulating material defining at least one opening formed therein, the at least one opening being in register with at least one graphene electrode.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of graphene electrodes comprises a single monolayer of graphene.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of graphene electrodes comprises a plurality of stacked graphene layers.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of graphene electrodes has a maximum dimension ranging from about 10 μm to about 500 μm.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of graphene electrodes has a maximum dimension of 50 μm.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of graphene electrodes has a maximum dimension of 30 μm.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate of the device comprises a pointed tip configured for penetration into a subject.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate of the device is configured to conform to the surface of a subject's tissue.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of graphene electrodes is functionalized with a biological molecule.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the biological molecule provides resistance to inflammation or rejection, increases biocompatibility, or provides neural stimulation.

Assignees

• Univ Pennsylvania

Inventors

• Kuzum Duygu
• Cubukcu Ertugrul
• Litt Brian

Classifications

• G01N33/5438

  Electrodes · CPC title

• A61N5/0622

  Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue · CPC title

• C01P2006/40

  Electric properties · CPC title

• A61B2562/146

  for optical coupling · CPC title

• C01B32/182 Primary

  Graphene · CPC title