A. Lambacher, V. Vitzthum, R. Zeitler, M. Eickenscheidt, B. Eversmann, R. Thewes, and P. Fromherz
The electrical activity of a network of mammalian neurons is mapped with a Multi-Transistor Array (MTA) fabricated with extended CMOS technology. The spatial resolution is 7.4 μm on an area of 1 mm2 at a sampling frequency of 6 kHz for a complete readout of 16384 sensor transistors. Action potentials give rise to extracellular voltages with amplitudes in a range of 500 µV. On the basis of the high resolution in space and time, correlation algorithms are used to identify single action potentials with amplitudes as low as about 200 µV, and to assign the signals to the activity of individual neurons even in a dense network.
Figure 2. Multi-Transistor-Array (MTA) with cultured rat neurons. Scanning electron micrographs with cells that were cultured for three weeks in serum-free medium on the TiO2/ZrO2 surface of the chips coated with poly-L-lysine. The scale is given by the pitch of 7.4 µm of the array that shines through the web of neurites.
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