Authors:
Ryo Furukawa
1
;
Shuichi Murakami
2
and
Takashi Tateno
3
Affiliations:
1
Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Kita 14, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0814, Japan
;
2
Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology, 2-7-1, Ayumino, Izumi, Osaka, 594-1157, Japan
;
3
Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Kita 14, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0814, Japan
Keyword(s):
Brain Slice, Calcium Imaging, Closed-Loop System, Micromachined Transducer, Ultrasound Stimulation.
Abstract:
Ultrasound neuromodulation, in which local and deep brain areas are stimulated, holds promise for clinical applications. However, the mechanisms of action underlying the stimulation effects are still unknown. In vitro experiments are helpful for investigating the stimulation mechanisms because they allow easy control of extracellular conditions. Compared with closed-loop systems, conventional open-loop systems do not permit monitoring of neural activity, and thus can lead to excessive neural stimulation. In this study, we developed a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasound transducer (PMUT) combined with monitoring microelectrodes. To examine the potential of our device as a neuromodulation tool, we measured the cellular responses to generated ultrasound stimulation. Subsequently, we constructed a closed-loop system that combined our PMUT with monitoring electrodes, and applied event-related ultrasound stimulation to brain slices in vitro. We discuss future applications of a closed-lo
op ultrasound stimulation system.
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