Flexible Optogenetic Transducer Device for Remote Neuron Modulation Using Highly Upconversion-Efficient Dendrite-Like Gold Inverse Opaline Structure

Chao-Yi Chu; Pu-Wei Wu; Jung-Chih Chen; Nien-Ti Tsou; You-Yi Lin; Yu-Chun Lo; Ssu-Ju Li; Ching-Wen Chang; Bo-Wei Chen; Chia-Lin Tsai; You-Yin Chen; Ta-Chung Liu; San-Yuan Chen

doi:10.1002/adhm.202101310

Flexible Optogenetic Transducer Device for Remote Neuron Modulation Using Highly Upconversion-Efficient Dendrite-Like Gold Inverse Opaline Structure

Adv Healthc Mater. 2022 Jun;11(11):e2101310. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202101310. Epub 2022 Mar 31.

Authors

Chao-Yi Chu¹, Pu-Wei Wu¹, Jung-Chih Chen^{2

3

4}, Nien-Ti Tsou¹, You-Yi Lin⁵, Yu-Chun Lo⁶, Ssu-Ju Li⁷, Ching-Wen Chang⁷, Bo-Wei Chen⁷, Chia-Lin Tsai¹, You-Yin Chen^{6

7}, Ta-Chung Liu⁸, San-Yuan Chen^{1

9

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, ROC.
² Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Catholic Mercy Hospital, Catholic Mercy Medical Foundation, Hsinchu, 303, Taiwan, ROC.
⁵ Material and Chemical Research Laboratories, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, ROC.
⁶ The Ph.D. Program for Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, No. 250 Wu-Xing St., Taipei, 110, Taiwan, ROC.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, No.155, Sec. 2, Linong St., Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC.
⁸ Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
⁹ Frontier Research Center on Fundamental and Applied Sciences of Matters, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 300, Taiwan, ROC.
¹⁰ School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan, ROC.
¹¹ Graduate Institute of Biomedical Science, China Medical University, Taichung, 406, Taiwan, ROC.

PMID: 34971080
DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101310

Abstract

A remote optogenetic device for analyzing freely moving animals has attracted extensive attention in optogenetic engineering. In particular, for peripheral nerve regions, a flexible device is needed to endure the continuous bending movements of these areas. Here, a remote optogenetic optical transducer device made from a gold inverse opaline skeleton grown with a dendrite-like gold nanostructure (D-GIOF) and chemically grafted with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) is developed. This implantable D-GIOF-based transducer device can achieve synergistic interaction of the photonic crystal effect and localized surface plasmon resonance, resulting in considerable UCNP conversion efficiency with a negligible thermal effect under low-intensity 980 nm near-infrared (NIR) light excitation. Furthermore, the D-GIOF-based transducer device exhibits remarkable emission power retention (≈100%) under different bending states, indicating its potential for realizing peripheral nerve stimulation. Finally, the D-GIOF-based transducer device successfully stimulates neuronal activities of the sciatic nerve in mice. This study demonstrates the potential of the implantable device to promote remote NIR stimulation for modulation of neural activity in peripheral nerve regions and provides proof of concept for its in vivo application in optogenetic engineering.

Keywords: flexible NIR transducer devices; in situ electrochemicals; inverse opal; localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR); optogenetics; photonic crystal (PC); remote neural modulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Dendrites
Mice
Neurons / physiology
Optogenetics* / methods
Transducers