Electric Field-Induced Effects on Neuronal Cell Biology Accompanying Dielectrophoretic Trapping [Paperback]

1 Introduction.- 1.1 Neuro-Electronic Interfacing.- 1.2 Culturing Neuronal Cells.- 1.3 Positioning and Culturing Neuronal Cells on a Microelectrode Array.- 1.4 Dielectrophoresis.- 1.5 Scope of This Review.- 2 Dielectrophoretic Trapping of Neuronal Cells.- 2.1 Theory.- 2.2 Materials.- 2.3 Theoretical Description of Dielectrophoretic Trapping.- 2.4 Experimental Description of Dielectrophoretic Trapping.- 3 Exposing Neuronal Cells to Electric Fields.- 3.1 Theory.- 3.2 Theoretical Investigation of Induced Membrane Potentials of Neuronal Cells.- 3.3 Experimental Investigation of Neuronal Membrane Breakdown.- 4 Investigating Viability of Dielectrophoretically Trapped Neuronal Cells.- 4.1 Viability of Neuronal Cells Trapped at a High Frequency.- 4.2 Viability of Neuronal Cells Trapped at Low Frequencies.- 4.3 Recording Neuronal Activity.- 5 Summary.- References.

 

The concept of the cultured neuron probe was induced by the possible selective stimulation of nerves for functional recovery after a neural lesion or disease. The probe consists of a micro-electrode array on top of which groups of neuronal cells are cultured. An efficient method to position groups of neuronal cells on top of the stimulation sites of the micro-electrode array is developed. With negative dielectrophoretic forces, produced by non-uniform electric fields on polarizable particles, neuronal cells are trapped. Experimental results and model simulations describe the trapping process and its effect on neuronal cell viability.