Biomimetic microfluidic neurons for bio-hybrid experiments

Millions of people worldwide have incurable and debilitating conditions called neurodegenerative diseases that influence one’s cognitive and/or motor functions. There is currently an increasing number of neuroprosthesis, but they have power consumption and bio-compatibility issues. To bring neuroprosthesis into realization and for future long-term replacement of damaged brain areas with artificial devices, understanding of neurophysiological behaviors and investigations on the interaction of neuronal cell assemblies is essential. To circumvent the limitations, in this article we propose a biomimetic artificial neuron to mimic and/or to replace the biological neurons. This biomimetic neuron is based on microfluidic technique with ionic exchange capable of performing bio-hybrid experiments.