Carbon Fiber Microelectrode

Array for Chronic Neural

Recording
VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION PRESENTATION

Group 12: David Jones, Brennan Kandalaft, and Luis Ruiz

 Agenda

Project Overview Verification & Project Status

• Project Summary Validation Plan • Proof of Concept
• Team updates • PCB, Grid & Coatings Testing
• Rules and
Regulations
 Carbon Fiber Microelectrodes (CFMEs) are
the ideal electrodes for chronic neural
recording in mice.

 Traditional neural implants like  CFMEs with ~5 m diameter

silicon or nichrome electrodes elicit almost no encapsulation
(~30 m diameter) elicit an response
encapsulation response.  Ideal for chronic recording ( > 1
year)

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/9/9/430/html, Chestek et al.

Dr. Keith Hengen requires an
efficient system for
manufacturing 64-electrode
CFME arrays

 64-channel PCB designed by 2018-

2019 Senior design group
 Lack of rigidity and structure in
carbon fibers makes inserting and
soldering them directly into vias
difficult
 Initial design alternative was
alignment jig
 We are now using an alignment grid
to help with fiber connection
Updates to our Project Scope
 Dr. Hengen has requested an additional e-
cube head stage-compatible microelectrode
array printed circuit board (PCB) for use
with his nichrome wire tetrode technology
 Vias instead of pads to accommodate
nichrome wires
 16x4 via arrangement

15x4 +
4 16x4
No Updates to our Design Specifications
Specification
Cost of Development
Number of Available Recording
Channels
Channel Functionality
# of PCBs that can be stacked
Headstage compatibility
Time to manufacture 1 functional PCB
(64 channels)
Single PCB mass
Single PCB length
Single PCB width
Single PCB height
Electrode Biological Response
Electrode Functional Time Course
Metric
< $10,000
64 channels per PCB - 512 for 8 stacked PCBs
64/64 channels function properly per PCB
8 PCBs with one headstage (512 channels total)
Any redesigned PCB must remain compatible with the current
stackable HS-640 E-cube headstage system
< 1 hour
< 5 grams
< 10.4 mm
< 10.9 mm
< .68 mm
No glial scarring around carbon electrodes
Electrodes must be able to record properly for longer than 1 year
No Updates to Gantt Chart
Updates to our Team Roles

Category Task Team Member

Scheduling Brennan
Communicating with Dr. Hengen David
Notebook Updating Luis
Administrative,
Weekly Reports Brennan
Note-keeping, Presentations
Prelim Report and Presentation Brennan
Progress Report and Presentation David
V&V Report and Presentation Luis
General Research David
Materials Research and Testing Brennan
R&D
PCB Modifications David
3D Modeling Luis
Communication with PCB manufacturers David
Manufacturing
Communication with 3D printing manufacturers Luis
Updates to Budget
 Given the significant investment he has made in CFME array
technology over the last year, Dr. Hengen is willing to invest up
to $10,000 to make 64 channel CFME array technology a reality
 Our prototype estimate has increased from $730  $2085

Item Description Price Estimate

PVA used for coating. A few hundred
PVA $20.00
grams needed.
Spray bottle for application of PVA
Atomizer $20.00
Solution (20 mL).
3D printed prototypes via ProtoLabs SLA printing service
Aligning Grid Prototypes $900.00
(three 15-piece batches).
Material used to make
Solder Paste $50.00
electrical connections
Professional rendering of PCB redesign (not including
PCB Redesign $1045.00
Tetrode Board)
Fiber manipulation tools needed or other
Misc. Costs $50.00
costs
Best guess estimate for total project
Total $2085.00
budget
 Old Board
PCB Redesign – Overview
 Goals
 16x4 grid layout
 Vias  Pads
 Maximize distance between pads for grid
 Add alignment holes for grid
 Additional Tetrode Board with vias
 PCB Design Consultant
 Dynamic FPC Design  Bryan Broussard
New Board
Top Bottom
PCB Redesign
Verification
 Design Specifications
 64 Channels
 Maintains 10.4 x 10.9 x 0.68
mm dimensions of old PCB
 Maintains compatibility with
stackable HS-640 E-cube
headstage system
 Weight < 5 grams
 Spacing Goals
 74% increase in X-spacing
 45% increase in Y-spacing
 16x4 grid pattern
PCB Redesign
Validation Plan
 New Trace Map
 New trace route will be
tested by the lab
technicians that work with
the nichrome tetrode
technology
 Trace route is the same on
the CFMEA board as tetrode
board
 Electrical Connection
 Will be quantified by
impedance of CFMEs on the
board
Alignment Grid Overview
 Purpose: To facilitating carbon fiber attachment to
PCB
 64 receptacles
 Facilitate fast, 1-hour manufacturing time for entire
CFMEA
 Max dimensions of 10.4mm x 10.9mm x 0.68mm
 Design: Maximize receptacle size while maintaining
necessary wall thickness
 254μm minimal grid wall thickness, 381μm minimal
grid hole width 
 380% larger receptacle size than the V1 PCB’s
grid
 1800% larger receptacle size than the V1 PCB’s
vias
 Tested by inserting fiber into a similarly sized hole.
Alignment Grid Prototype Details
Alignment Grid Verification
 Alignment grid is essential in meeting the
following design specifications:
 64 channels per grid
 1-hour manufacturing time for entire CFMEA
 Max dimensions of 10.4mm x 10.9mm x
0.68mm
Alignment Grid Validation Plan
 Prototype Integrity
 Prototypes must have enough structural integrity
to sustain normal handling during CFMEA
manufacturing
 Quantify print-fail rate and homogeneity of prints
 Prototype Functionality
 Grid must have a significantly improve CFMEA
manufacturing ease and time
 Quantify CFME loading time when done by an
experienced Hengen lab technician.
 Design spec: Loading time < 60-minutes preferred
 Sub 90-minute time is tolerable
 Grid must not hinder electrical connectivity
between CFME and its solder pad
 Quantify through impedance testing
 PVA Fiber Coating Overview +
Verification
 Goal: Increase rigidity of CFMEs to make them easier to work with
 Verification of design Specs: No biological response
 PVA Coating at < 6% is biologically inert (Title 21 Article 3 of FDA codes)
 Our PVA is 5% and will be dissolved off before implantation

FDA, U., & Food and Drug Administration. (2018). CFR-Code of Federal
Regulations Title 21. Chapter I, Sec, 312, 21.
PVA Fiber Coating Validation Plan
 Assay measuring the improved handling of the fibers during insertion into the
alignment grid and/or PCB. 
 Qualitative assessment based on testimony from Hengen lab members.
 If technicians cannot differentiate between the handling of coated and uncoated
fibers, then the PVA coating will be abandoned
 Rules and Regulations
 Title 21 Article 3 of FDA codes: PVA can be used as a coating up to 6%
 Our coating is only 5% and will not be used in Humans so our PVA can be used
without concern for regulations.
 Platinum (in our PCB) does have special regulations as per FDA Title
21.
 Small amount used in our PCB does not qualify for regulation
 Additionally, our PCBs are not for use in humans
 “Straight from manufacturer to bench”
 Our CFMEAs are not for human use so this limits the regulations we must follow

FDA, U., & Food and Drug Administration. (2018). CFR-Code of Federal
Regulations Title 21. Chapter I, Sec, 312, 21.
 Other Proof of Concept Testing
 Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) of Grid
adapted from Maharbiz et al.
 500 µm thick wafer was trialed at the WashU
Clean room
 Only 193.8 µm were cut away
 However, low precision, slow speeds, and high
cost of DRIE led us to choose 3D printing as
primary fabrication method

Maharbiz, Michel M, et al. “A High-Density Carbon Fiber

Neural Recording Array Technology.”
Status of Project
 Redesigned V2 PCBs
 Confirmation of final design and order to be placed by 3/6/2020
 Initial Grid Prototype
 Order to be placed after PCB final design is confirmed (3/6/2020)
 ~ 1-week order time
 First Prototype assembled during week of 3/30/2020
References

 Patel, P. R., Na, K., Zhang, H., Kozai, T. D. Y., Kotov, N. A., Yoon, E., & Chestek, C. A.
(2015). Insertion of linear 8.4μm diameter 16 channel carbon fiber electrode
arrays for single unit recordings. Journal of Neural Engineering, 12(4), 046009. doi:
10.1088/1741-2560/12/4/046009
 Maharbiz, Michel M, et al. “A High-Density Carbon Fiber Neural Recording Array
Technology.” BioRxiv, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Jan. 2018,
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/320937v1. 
 https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/9/9/430/html
 FDA, U., & Food and Drug Administration. (2018). CFR-Code of Federal Regulations
Title 21. Chapter I, Sec, 312, 21.
Questions?