title: A low-noise, modular, and versatile analog front-end intended for processing in vitro neuronal signals detected by microelectrode arrays.
abstract: The collection of good quality extracellular neuronal spikes from neuronal cultures coupled to Microelectrode Arrays (MEAs) is a binding requirement to gather reliable data. Due to physical constraints, low power requirement, or the need of customizability, commercial recording platforms are not fully adequate for the development of experimental setups integrating MEA technology with other equipment needed to perform experiments under climate controlled conditions, like environmental chambers or cell culture incubators. To address this issue, we developed a custom MEA interfacing system featuring low noise, low power, and the capability to be readily integrated inside an incubator-like environment. Two stages, a preamplifier and a filter amplifier, were designed, implemented on printed circuit boards, and tested. The system is characterized by a low input-referred noise (<1 μV RMS), a high channel separation (>70 dB), and signal-to-noise ratio values of neuronal recordings comparable to those obtained with the benchmark commercial MEA system. In addition, the system was successfully integrated with an environmental MEA chamber, without harming cell cultures during experiments and without being damaged by the high humidity level. The devised system is of practical value in the development of in vitro platforms to study temporally extended neuronal network dynamics by means of MEAs.
authors.affiliation: Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Regalia
authors.affiliation: Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy ; Bioengineering Laboratory, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, Italy.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biffi
authors.affiliation: Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrigno
authors.affiliation: Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, Electronics, Information and Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrocchi
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000669:Amplifiers, Electronic; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009415:Nerve Net; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio