Implantable nanophotonic neural probes

Advances in optogenetics have led to a toolbox of sophisticated light-gated actuators (opsins) of neuronal activity and fluorescent activity indicators. Today, neurons can be genetically engineered, with cell-type specificity, to express various combinations of opsins and fluorescent activity indicators – enabling in vivo studies of neural circuit functions with light. A critical limitation of these techniques is the lack of tools for addressable light delivery deep in the brain.  Approaches using benchtop and miniaturized microscopes for light delivery are limited to shallow depths in the brain (due to the large optical scattering of brain tissue), while endoscopic approaches using optical fiber or implantable lenses lead to significant tissue displacement.

Leveraging our visible-light integrated photonics technology, we have developed a series of increasingly complex and multi-functional nanophotonic neural probes (implantable microchips with photonic circuitry for addressable light delivery within the brain). Working with collaborators at the Krembil Brain Institute (Canada) and the Allen Institute for Neural Dynamics (USA), we have demonstrated neural probes with photonic, electrophysiological, and microfluidics functionalities. Ongoing research is focused on scaling performance, optimizing usability, integrating additional functionalities, and deploying the probes in neuroscience experiments. With mass manufacturability enabled by foundry fabrication, we aim to distribute this rapidly-evolving technology to the neuroscience community.

PhD students: David Roszko, Xin Mu

Postdoctoral scholar: Piyush Kumar

Scientific staff: Andrei Stalmashonak, Hannes Wahn, John Straguzzi, Ka My Dang

Recent work: