An implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator (ImPULS) for selective deep brain activation

Abstract

Precise neurostimulation has potential to revolutionize therapies for neurological disorders. However, current neural interfaces targeting the deep brain face significant limitations in spatial resolution and potency due to tissue attenuation. We developed an implantable piezoelectric ultrasound stimulator (ImPULS) that generates an ultrasonic focal point pressure of 100 kPa and can non-genetically modulate the activity of neurons. We demonstrated that ImPULS can i) excite neurons in a mouse hippocampal slice ex vivo, ii) activate cells in the hippocampus of an anesthetized mouse to induce expression of activity-dependent gene c-Fos, and iii) stimulate dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) to elicit time-locked modulation of nigrostriatal dopamine release. This work introduces a novel, non-genetic ultrasound platform for spatially localized neural stimulation.