(Invited) Extracellular Matrix-Based Neural Interfaces

Tuesday, 15 October 2019: 10:00
Room 302 (The Hilton Atlanta)
W. Shen (University of Texas At Arlington) and M. Allen (University of Pennsylvania)
Neural interfaces to reveal neural activities at high temporal and spatial resolutions become critical for neuroscience research, emerging clinical applications and brain computer interfaces (BCI). However, the chronic performances of conventional neural interfaces degrade over time due to their incapability to address the biological, chemical and mechanical properties of neural tissues. Extracellular matrix (ECM) materials offers several intrinsic properties, such as high mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility, making them uniquely suitable for interfacing with neural tissues. In this talk, I will present our recent work on ECM-based neural interfaces, highlighting the microfabrication of ECM-based neural electrodes, the mechanical, electrochemical and biological characteristics of the ECM-based neural interfaces, and finally discuss several application examples.