title: Development of a microfluidic platform with integrated power splitting waveguides for optogenetic neural cell stimulation.
abstract: We present a microfluidic platform with integrated power splitting waveguides for optogenetic neural cell stimulation. A liquid-core/PDMS-cladding waveguide with a power splitter design was integrated with a neural cell culture chamber to provide a simple way of precise localized optical stimulation. The parallel on-chip excitation of individual neural cells using a single optical fiber input is demonstrated for optogenetic neural cell studies, and the excitation of each individual waveguide can be independently controlled by pneumatic valves. Light delivery and loss mechanisms through the waveguides were studied and characterized. The waveguide power splitter platform is capable of providing sufficient irradiance to evoke spikes in ChR2-expressing neural cells. The system enables high-resolution stimulation of neural cells in a controllable manner. The microfluidic platform described here represents a novel methodology for studying optogenetics in a compact integrated system with high spatial resolutions.
authors.affiliation: Key Lab for Health Informatics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Key Lab for Health Informatics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Weiliang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.affiliation: Key Lab for Health Informatics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Lab for Health Informatics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China. yan.chen@siat.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004735:Energy Transfer; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008027:Light; D008904:Miniaturization; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D062308:Optogenetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D051381:Rats; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018511:Systems Integration
keywords: Microfluidics; Optogenetics; Waveguide