An ultra-compliant, scalable neural probe with molded biodissolvable delivery vehicle

This paper describes an ultra-compliant parylene-platinum neural probe embedded in a biodissolvable delivery vehicle. High probe compliance is achieved using thin wires (width of 10.0 μm and thickness of 2.7 μm) and by meandering the probe. The insertion of the ultra-compliant probe is achieved by encasing it in a dissolvable delivery vehicle made from molded carboxy-methylcellulose. In vivo implantations of delivery vehicles with 1.5 mm long shanks, widths of 100 μm and 300 μm and a targeted thickness of 135 μm have been done through the dura in the cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats at a speed of 80 mm-s^-1. The delivery vehicle becomes a gel over a period of less than three minutes, after which the handling portions of the delivery vehicle are removed leaving the shanks embedded in the brain.