Novel disposable microelectrode array for cultured neuronal network recording exhibiting equivalent performance to commercially available arrays

Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) enable non-invasive recording of supra-threshold signals, i.e. action potentials or spikes, from a variety of cultured electrically active cells. While this label-free technology has been shown to be useful for pharmacological and toxicological studies, a major limitation has been the reliance on expensive recording substrates that have been manufactured with the intent of re-use. Prior work by our group has demonstrated an approach for fabricating MEAs using conventional liquid crystal display manufacturing techniques. Here, we describe and characterize the UT Dallas planar MEA which is fabricated with low cost materials and processes. We compare the performance of the UT Dallas MEAs, which consist of exposed gold microelectrodes with patterned parylene insulation over traces, with well-established commercially available MEAs using cultured murine cortical networks. Detailed electrophysiological comparisons show virtually identical performance between MEA types with respect to network metrics including recording yield across the array, network spike rate and burst rate, and virtually identical pharmacological responses to a diverse set of neuropharmacological agents.