MeV ion beam fabrication of diamond biosensors for action potentials detection

Action potential generation is one of the main mechanisms regulating cell excitability and communication. This process consists in a membrane potential variation, induced by the opening and closure of ion channels, which spreads on the plasma membrane. This rapid depolarization is not only a specific communication mechanism between neurons, but it also governs the synaptic transmission, the hormonal release and muscle contraction. In neuroscience, the development of sensors devoted to the detection of these signals is of paramount importance since they would allow performing experiments in which molecular mechanisms or drugs efficacy could be investigated at the cellular level. Diamond-based devices represent a promising solution to this technological demand due to the attracting properties of this material. In this paper we present multi electrode array (MEA) cellular sensors based on embedded graphitic micro-channels fabricated by means of MeV ion beam lithography into artificial diamond substrates. The applicability of these sensors on action potentials recording from cardiac tissue is reported.