SILICON CULTURED-NEURON PROSTHETIC DEVICES FOR IN-VIVO AND IN-VITRO STUDIES

The design, fabrication and mechanical testing of a new types of silic on-micromachined structures for in vivo and in vitro extracellular sti mulation and recording are presented. The novelty of these structures are neuron wells fabricated in a silicon membrane 20 mu m thick, in wh ich cultured neurons can be implanted and grown. Different kinds of ne uron wells have been fabricated, but no difference in the survivabilit y of implanted neurons has been observed. Neurons were successfully gr own in various designs of neurowells as building elements of devices f or both in vivo and in vitro applications. This approach should improv e signal-to-noise ratio of the existing structures for extracellular r ecording. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.