Figure 1.

The Blackrock Microsystems (Salt Lake, UT) silicon-based, Utah microelectrode array used in high performance intracortical brain-machine interface trials (e.g., Wodlinger et al., 2015; Pandarinath et al., 2017; Bockbrader et al., 2019). (A) Skull-mounted titanium pedestal with the wire bundle connected to a Utah MEA. The pedestal connector pins interface with an analog or digital headstage that transmits signals to the data acquisition system. (B) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of the 10x10 array (scale bar is 2 mm). (C) SEM of platinum-coated silicon tip and parylene-coated silicon shaft of a MEA electrode (scale bar is 10 μm). MEA signals may be disrupted, e.g., by biologic tissue reactions around the electrode tips, deterioration of electrode materials, or mechanical connection failures. Detection methods can leverage the characteristic manner in which disruptions affect recorded signals, allowing for targeted interventions to restore signal quality and BMI function. Figure reprinted with permission from Barrese et al. (2016). © IOP Publishing. All rights reserved.