Replication Data for: Graphene-based microelectrodes with bidirectional functionality for next-generation retinal electronic interfaces

Neuroelectronic prostheses are being developed for restoring vision at the retinal level in patients who have lost their sight due to photoreceptor loss. The core component of these devices is the electrode array, which enables interfacing with retinal neurons. Generating the perception of meaningful images requires highdensity microelectrode arrays (MEAs) capable of precisely activating targeted retinal neurons. Achieving this precision necessitates the downscaling of electrodes to micrometer dimensions. However, miniaturization increases electrode impedance, which poses challenges by limiting the amount of current that can be delivered, thereby impairing the electrode’s capability for effective neural modulation. Additionally, it elevates noise levels, reducing the signal quality of the recorded neural activity. This report focuses on evaluating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) based devices for interfacing with the retina, showcasing their potential in vision restoration. Our findings reveal low impedance and high charge injection limit for microscale rGO electrodes, confirming their suitability for developing next-generation high-density retinal devices. We successfully demonstrated bidirectional interfacing with cell cultures and explanted retinal tissue, enabling the identification and modulation of multiple cells’ activity. Additionally, calcium imaging allowed real-time monitoring of retinal cell dynamics, demonstrating a significant reduction in activated areas with small-sized electrodes. Overall, this study lays the groundwork for developing advanced rGO-based MEAs for high-acuity visual prostheses.

神经电子假体（Neuroelectronic prostheses）正被开发用于为因光感受器丧失而失明的患者在视网膜层面恢复视觉。这类器件的核心组件是电极阵列，它能实现与视网膜神经元的交互。生成有意义图像的感知需要高密度微电极阵列（microelectrode arrays, MEAs），其需能精确激活靶向视网膜神经元。实现这种精度要求将电极缩小至微米级尺寸。然而，微型化会增加电极阻抗，这通过限制可传递的电流大小带来挑战，从而削弱电极有效神经调制（neural modulation）的能力。此外，它会提高噪声水平，降低记录的神经活动信号质量。本报告聚焦于评估基于还原氧化石墨烯（reduced graphene oxide, rGO）的视网膜交互器件，展示其在视觉恢复中的潜力。我们的研究结果显示，微尺度rGO电极具有低阻抗和高电荷注入极限（charge injection limit），确认其适用于开发下一代高密度视网膜器件。我们成功展示了与细胞培养物和离体视网膜组织的双向交互，能够识别和调制多个细胞的活动。此外，钙成像（calcium imaging）实现了视网膜细胞动态的实时监测，显示小尺寸电极激活区域显著减少。总体而言，本研究为开发用于高分辨率视觉假体的先进rGO基MEAs奠定了基础。