Recent development on optogenetic methods offers reliable path to modulate cell activities with high level spatiotemporal precision. Application of this technology in behavior studies significantly improves our understanding in the neural principle that underpin animal behaviors, including ourselves. Full exploitation of optogenetic method in neuroscience behavior studies relies on engineering tools that deliver photons with high spatiotemporal precision, and meanwhile introduce minimum interferences to animal’s natural activities. In this thesis, I present a wireless battery-free optogenetic platform equipped with dynamically programmable multi-channel operation system to enable real-time adjustable modulation on cell activities. The resulting device adopts miniaturized form factors that allows convenient full-subdermal surgical implantation. Systematic studies prove the biocompatibility and long operation stability of these devices. In addition, numerical simulations on light propagations and thermal dissipations in tissue offer clear guidance on experimental design for behavior studies. I also introduce a new “two-part” device design concept that breaks the spatial limitations from previous platform by separating electronic modules and stimulation sites and electrically link them with soft, robust interconnections. This novel platform offers improved efficiency in energy harvesting which leads to increased optical power for illumination over large volume as well as upgrades in electronic function. Meanwhile, this platform is capable of performing simultaneous optogenetic stimulation and electrophysiological sensing for profound exploration in neural dynamics. Finally, I demonstrate a hybrid optogenetic robotic system that integrates wireless optogenetic devices with soft three-dimensional architectures and skeletal muscle tissues. Demonstrations of this hybrid biological robots on diverse motion patterns controlled by optogenetic stimulations prove their promising applicability as vitro platforms for exploring fundamental mechanisms of various biological systems and testing biomedical treatments. Moreover, these robots can perform high level biomedical tasks in near future.

Creator

• Yang, Yiyuan

DOI

• https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-9sns-6a60

Subject

• Engineering

Language

• en

Alternate Identifier

• etdadmin_upload_815460
• http://dissertations.umi.com/northwestern:15529

Keyword

• Wireless
• Neuroscience
• Optogenetics
• Robotics
• Battery-free

Date created

• 2021-01-01

Resource type

• Dissertation

Rights statement

• In Copyright