title: The design and preparation of a flexible bio-chip for use as a visual prosthesis, and evaluation of its biological features.
abstract: We aimed to design and manufacture a novel low-cost polyimide microelectrode array (MEA) chip for visual prosthesis research and to evaluate its biological features. A microelectrode array was developed, based on Flexible Printed Circuit Board (FPC) technology which enables electrical stimulation of the cortex. In an in vitro experiment, rat visual cortex cells were co-cultured with the chip and examined using scanning electron microscopy. Trypan blue exclusion and methyl blue tetrazolium tests showed that cell viability and survival rates (90-98%) did not significantly differ between the co-cultured chip group and the control group. In an in vivo experiment HE/Nissl staining performed to investigate the possibility of brain tissue degeneration around implanted MEAs showed no negative effects of the chip on visual cortical cells after 1 month in situ. The good functional characteristics and biocomptability suggest that such a low-cost device could have widespread application, particularly in countries with a large blind population and limited financial resources.
authors.affiliation: Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Li-Feng
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bingbing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wensheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Zheng Qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002470:Cell Survival; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology; D018583:Pliability; D051381:Rats; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology