Conformable actively multiplexed high-density surface electrode array for brain interfacing

A method for spatio-temporally electrically interfacing with a brain tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a conformable device for interfacing with brain tissue in a biological environment, the device comprising:
• a deformable substrate;
• a deformable array of electrodes comprising a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with a plurality of deformable electrical interconnects;
• and
• a barrier layer encapsulating at least a portion of the deformable electrical interconnects, wherein the deformable substrate, deformable array of electrodes and the barrier layer provide a net bending stiffness of the device low enough that the device is capable of establishing conformal contact with the brain tissue in the biological environment, wherein the deformable array of electrodes is supported by the barrier layer;
• electrically contacting at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes with the brain tissue in the biological environment by conformally contacting the conformable device with a surface of the brain tissue in the biological environment;
• spatio-temporally interfacing the brain tissue with the conformable device to monitor or actuate a spatio-temporal profile over the surface of the brain tissue in electrical contact with the plurality of electrodes;
• wherein the interfacing step further comprises:
• monitoring or actuating the electric potential of the brain tissue at a plurality of
• individual brain surface locations over a plurality of different time points;
• analyzing the monitored electric potential spatio-temporal profile to identify an electrical waveform wherein the analyzing step comprises:
• monitoring the magnitude of electric potential at each brain surface location, a time course of electric potential change at each brain surface location, or both;
• and
• calculating the relative delay of a spike in electrical potential at a brain surface location, wherein a spike is identified for any brain surface location having an electric potential that is greater than 50% of a peak root-mean-square value over all brain surface locations.

A method for spatio-temporally electrically interfacing with a brain tissue, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a conformable device for interfacing with brain tissue in a biological environment, the device comprising:
• a deformable substrate;
• a deformable array of electrodes comprising a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with a plurality of deformable electrical interconnects;
• and
• a barrier layer encapsulating at least a portion of the deformable electrical interconnects, wherein the deformable substrate, deformable array of electrodes and the barrier layer provide a net bending stiffness of the device low enough that the device is capable of establishing conformal contact with the brain tissue in the biological environment, wherein the deformable array of electrodes is supported by the barrier layer;
• electrically contacting at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes with the brain tissue in the biological environment by conformally contacting the conformable device with a surface of the brain tissue in the biological environment;
• spatio-temporally interfacing the brain tissue with the conformable device to monitor or actuate a spatio-temporal profile over the surface of the brain tissue in electrical contact with the plurality of electrodes, wherein the interfacing step further comprises identifying the spatio-temporal profile as a spiral waveform and actuating electrical activity over the brain surface with an output spatio-temporal profile from the deformable array of electrodes to disrupt or terminate the spiral waveform.