Exploring retinal ganglion cells encoding to multi-modal stimulation using 3D microelectrodes arrays

Kui Zhang; Yaoyao Liu; Yilin Song; Shihong Xu; Yan Yang; Longhui Jiang; Shutong Sun; Jinping Luo; Yirong Wu; Xinxia Cai

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1245082

Exploring retinal ganglion cells encoding to multi-modal stimulation using 3D microelectrodes arrays

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Aug 1:11:1245082. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1245082. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kui Zhang^{1

2}, Yaoyao Liu^{1

2}, Yilin Song^{1

2}, Shihong Xu^{1

2}, Yan Yang^{1

2}, Longhui Jiang^{1

2}, Shutong Sun^{1

2}, Jinping Luo^{1

2}, Yirong Wu^{1

2}, Xinxia Cai^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Microelectrode arrays (MEA) are extensively utilized in encoding studies of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) due to their capacity for simultaneous recording of neural activity across multiple channels. However, conventional planar MEAs face limitations in studying RGCs due to poor coupling between electrodes and RGCs, resulting in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and limited recording sensitivity. To overcome these challenges, we employed photolithography, electroplating, and other processes to fabricate a 3D MEA based on the planar MEA platform. The 3D MEA exhibited several improvements compared to planar MEA, including lower impedance (8.73 ± 1.66 kΩ) and phase delay (-15.11° ± 1.27°), as well as higher charge storage capacity (CSC = 10.16 ± 0.81 mC/cm²), cathodic charge storage capacity (CSCc = 7.10 ± 0.55 mC/cm²), and SNR (SNR = 8.91 ± 0.57). Leveraging the advanced 3D MEA, we investigated the encoding characteristics of RGCs under multi-modal stimulation. Optical, electrical, and chemical stimulation were applied as sensory inputs, and distinct response patterns and response times of RGCs were detected, as well as variations in rate encoding and temporal encoding. Specifically, electrical stimulation elicited more effective RGC firing, while optical stimulation enhanced RGC synchrony. These findings hold promise for advancing the field of neural encoding.

Keywords: 3D microelectrodes arrays; electroplating; multi-modal stimulation; neural encoding; retinal ganglion cells.

Grants and funding

This work was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (L2224042, 61960206012, 62121003, T2293730, 62171434, 61975206, 61971400, and 61973292), the Frontier Interdiscipline Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XK2022XXC003), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFB3205602, 2022YFC2402501), the Major Program of Scientific and Technical Innovation 2030 (2021ZD02016030), and the Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GJJSTD20210004).