Biocompatible benzocyclobutene-based intracortical neural implant with surface modification

This paper presents the fabrication of a benzocyclobutene (BCB) polymer-based intracortical neural implant for reliable and stable long-term implant function. BCB polymer has many attractive features for chronic implant application: flexibility, biocompatibility, low moisture uptake, low dielectric constant and easy surface modification. A 2 µm thick silicon backbone layer was attached underneath a flexible BCB electrode to improve mechanical stiffness. No insertion trauma was observed during penetrating into the dura of a rat. In vitro cytotoxicity tests of the completed BCB electrode revealed no toxic effects on cultured cells. The modified BCB surface with a dextran coating showed a significant reduction in 3T3 cell adhesion and spreading, indicating that this coating has the potential for lowering protein adsorption, minimizing inflammatory cell adhesion and glial scar formation in vivo, and thereby enhancing long-term implant performance.