Makito Haruta

Novel implantable imaging system for enabling simultaneous multiplanar and multipoint analysis for fluorescence potentiometry in the visual cortex

Techniques for fast, noninvasive measurement of neuronal excitability within a broad area will be of major importance for analyzing and understanding neuronal networks and animal behavior in neuroscience field. In this research, a novel implantable imaging system for fluorescence potentiometry was developed using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, and its application to the analysis of cultured brain slices and the brain of a living mouse is described. A CMOS image sensor, small enough to be implanted into the brain, with light-emitting diodes and an absorbing filter was developed to enable real-time fluorescence imaging. The sensor, in conjunction with a voltage-sensitive dye, was certainly able to visualize the potential statuses of neurons and obtain physiological responses in both right and left visual cortex simultaneously by using multiple sensors for the first time. This accomplished multiplanar and multipoint measurement provides multidimensional information from different aspects. The light microsensors do not disturb the animal behavior. This implies that the imaging system can combine functional fluorescence imaging in the brain with behavioral experiments in a freely moving animal.

An implantable CMOS device for blood-flow imaging during experiments on freely moving rats

An observation technique for animal brain activity under freely moving conditions is important to understand brain functions because brain activity under an anesthetized condition is different from that under a nonanesthetized condition. We have developed an ultrasmall CMOS imaging device for brain activity observation under freely moving conditions. This device is composed of a CMOS image sensor chip and nine LEDs for illumination. It weighs only 0.02 g and its small size enables experiments to be performed without restricting animal movement. This feature is advantageous for brain imaging, particularly in freely moving situations. In this study, we have demonstrated blood-flow imaging using the device for the stable observation of brain activity over a long period. The blood flow can be observed without staining the brain during optical imaging. We have successfully estimated the blood-flow velocity under freely moving conditions.

Functional brain fluorescence plurimetry in rat by implantable concatenated CMOS imaging system

Measurement of brain activity in multiple areas simultaneously by minimally invasive methods contributes to the study of neuroscience and development of brain machine interfaces. However, this requires compact wearable instruments that do not inhibit natural movements. Application of optical potentiometry with voltage-sensitive fluorescent dye using an implantable image sensor is also useful. However, the increasing number of leads required for the multiple wired sensors to measure larger domains inhibits natural behavior. For imaging broad areas by numerous sensors without excessive wiring, a web-like sensor that can wrap the brain was developed. Kaleidoscopic potentiometry is possible using the imaging system with concatenated sensors by changing the alignment of the sensors. This paper describes organization of the system, evaluation of the system by a fluorescence imaging, and finally, functional brain fluorescence plurimetry by the sensor. The recorded data in rat somatosensory cortex using the developed multiple-area imaging system compared well with electrophysiology results.

Intravital fluorescence imaging of mouse brain using implantable semiconductor devices and epi-illumination of biological tissue

The application of the fluorescence imaging method to living animals, together with the use of genetically engineered animals and synthesized photo-responsive compounds, is a powerful method for investigating brain functions. Here, we report a fluorescence imaging method for the brain surface and deep brain tissue that uses compact and mass-producible semiconductor imaging devices based on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. An image sensor chip was designed to be inserted into brain tissue, and its size was 1500 × 450 μm. Sample illumination is also a key issue for intravital fluorescence imaging. Hence, for the uniform illumination of the imaging area, we propose a new method involving the epi-illumination of living biological tissues, and we performed investigations using optical simulations and experimental evaluation.

Wireless image-data transmission from an implanted image sensor through a living mouse brain by intra body communication

Intra body communication technology allows the fabrication of compact implantable biomedical sensors compared with RF wireless technology. In this paper, we report the fabrication of an implantable image sensor of 625 µm width and 830 µm length and the demonstration of wireless image-data transmission through a brain tissue of a living mouse. The sensor was designed to transmit output signals of pixel values by pulse width modulation (PWM). The PWM signals from the sensor transmitted through a brain tissue were detected by a receiver electrode. Wireless data transmission of a two-dimensional image was successfully demonstrated in a living mouse brain. The technique reported here is expected to provide useful methods of data transmission using micro sized implantable biomedical sensors.

An Implantable CMOS Image Sensor With Self-Reset Pixels for Functional Brain Imaging

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate an implantable CMOS image sensor with self-resetting pixels. The self-resetting function is implemented using a four-transistor Schmitt trigger inverter. The pixel has no counter for the number of self-resets, because the application does not require radiometric (linear) response. The pixel is fabricated using the 0.35-μm 2-poly 4-metal standard CMOS technology, which results in the pixel size of 15 μm×15 μm and a fill factor of 31%. The effective peak signal-to-noise ratio is >59 dB. An image sensor prototype comprising a 60 × 134 pixel array is designed, and an implantable device is fabricated. As an example imaging experiment, we demonstrate blood-flow imaging of a rat-brain surface using the sensor. Intensity-change images are successfully obtained from the self-resetting pixel outputs with the image processing.

Implantable CMOS imaging device with absorption filters for green fluorescence imaging

Green fluorescent materials such as Green Fluorescence Protein (GFP) and fluorescein are often used for observing neural activities. Thus, it is important to observe the fluorescence in a freely moving state in order to understand neural activities corresponding to behaviors. In this work, we developed an implantable CMOS imaging device for in-vivo green fluorescence imaging with efficient excitation light rejection using a combination of absorption filters. An interference filter is usually used for a fluorescence microscope in order to achieve high fluorescence imaging sensitivity. However, in the case of the implantable device, interference filters are not suitable because their transmission spectra depend on incident angle. To solve this problem we used two kinds of absorption filters that do not have angle dependence. An absorption filter consisting of yellow dye (VARYFAST YELLOW 3150) was coated on the pixel array of an image sensor. The rejection ratio of ideal excitation light (490 nm) against green fluorescence (510 nm) was 99.66%. However, the blue LED as an excitation light source has a broad emission spectrum and its intensity at 510 nm is 2.2 x 10-2 times the emission peak intensity. By coating LEDs with the emission absorption filters, the intensity of the unwanted component of the excitation light was reduced to 1.4 x 10-4. Using the combination of absorption filters, we achieved excitation light transmittance of 10-5 onto the image sensor. It is expected that high-sensitivity green fluorescence imaging of neural activities in a freely moving mouse will be possible by using this technology.

Implantable imaging device for brain functional imaging system using flavoprotein fluorescence

The autofluorescence of mitochondrial flavoprotein is very useful for functional brain imaging because the fluorescence intensity of flavoprotein changes as per neural activities. In this study, we developed an implantable imaging device for green fluorescence imaging and detected fluorescence changes of flavoprotein associated with visual stimulation using the device. We examined the device performance using anesthetized mice. We set the device on the visual cortex and measured fluorescence changes of flavoprotein in response to visual stimulation. A full-field sinusoidal grating with a vertical orientation was used for applying to activate the visual cortex. We successfully observed visually evoked fluorescence changes in the mouse visual cortex using our implantable device. This result suggests that we can observe the fluorescence changes of flavoprotein associated with visual stimulation in a freely moving mouse by using this technology.

Implantable self-reset CMOS image sensor and its application to hemodynamic response detection in living mouse brain

A self-reset pixel of 15 × 15 µm2 with high signal-to-noise ratio (effective peak SNR 64 dB) for an implantable image sensor has been developed for intrinsic signal detection arising from hemodynamic responses in a living mouse brain. For detecting local conversion between oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) in brain tissues, an implantable imaging device was fabricated with our newly designed self-reset image sensor and orange light-emitting diodes (LEDs; λ = 605 nm). We demonstrated imaging of hemodynamic responses in the sensory cortical area accompanied by forelimb stimulation of a living mouse. The implantable imaging device for intrinsic signal detection is expected to be a powerful tool to measure brain activities in living animals used in behavioral analysis.

Intrinsic signal imaging of brain function using a small implantable CMOS imaging device

A brain functional imaging technique over a long period is important to understand brain functions related to animal behavior. We have developed a small implantable CMOS imaging device for measuring brain activity in freely moving animals. This device is composed of a CMOS image sensor chip and LEDs for illumination. In this study, we demonstrated intrinsic signal imaging of blood flow using the device with a green LED light source at a peak wavelength of 535 nm, which corresponds to one of the absorption spectral peaks of blood cells. Brain activity increases regional blood flow. The device light weight of about 0.02 g makes it possible to stably measure brain activity through blood flow over a long period. The device has successfully measured the intrinsic signal related to sensory stimulation on the primary somatosensory cortex.