EU funds help create revolutionary neural probe
Researchers in Europe have developed a new neural probe that allows electrical and chemical recording and stimulation of single neurons in the brain. They claim the technology has huge potential and could be used, for example, to carry out more precise diagnosis of brain seizures before brain surgery. This state-of-the-art probe is an outcome of the NEUROPROBES ('Development of multifunctional microprobe arrays for cerebral applications') project, which clinched almost EUR 10 million in support under the 'Information society technologies' (IST) Thematic area of the EU's Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Until now, multi-electrode recording probes have relied on trial and error, as it is not possible to optimise mechanically the position of electrodes independently from each other, according to the researchers. They pointed out that to discriminate single neurons in the brain, the recording electrode should be positioned very close to the neuron, ideally within 100 micrometres or less. The team, led by researchers at Imec, a Belgian company specialising in research on nanoelectronics, said the new Electronic Depth Control (EDC) technology was different from previous probes because it enabled the individual adjustment of the position of the different electrodes without requiring any mechanical displacement. The EDC neural probe has hundreds of electronically switchable electrodes, allowing users to scan for the most informative neural signals, to lock onto them, and eventually adjust their position during the course of an experiment, they explained. The scientists believe the neural probe's applications are vast: ranging from tools for fundamental research on the functioning of the brain, to instruments for more precise diagnosis of brain seizures before brain surgery. They underlined that the technology will help refine work currently underway and open the door to dozens of new research tracks. In addition to fundamental brain research, one of the key roles for the EDC technology will be pre-operative diagnostics prior to brain surgery for a variety of conditions. 'It is known that similar probes have been used for decades to discover the focus of an epileptic seizure, for example,' said Herc Neves, a scientist at imec and coordinator of the NEUROPROBES project. 'You have a patient that is about to be operated on, and you want to remove as little tissue as possible. By pinpointing where the seizure is generated, you remove only that tissue, resulting in safer and less invasive surgery.' The team at Imec was helped in its research by scientists working at academic institutions across Europe, including the University of Leuven in Belgium, the University of Cambridge in the UK and the Hungarian Academy of Science, and key industry players such as the electronics giant Philips and the British-based hearing solutions firm Cochlear Technology Centre. The NEUROPROBES consortium consists of 14 partners carrying out research aimed at developing a system platform that will allow a wide range of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic measures for the treatment and for the scientific understanding of cerebral systems and associated diseases. The project's results will lead to a new era of work in the field of fundamental, scientific, as well as clinical brain research, with specific focus on restoring the vision of profoundly blind patients.
Countries
Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, United Kingdom