430 Development and Multimodal Validation of the Smallest-Diameter Electrode Intracortical Array to Date in a Large Animal Model for Brain-Computer Interfaces

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INTRODUCTION: The 80-µm-diameter Utah electrode array (UEA) has been used for speech (Card et al., NEJM, 2024) and motor brain-computer interfaces (BCI, Willsey et al., Nat Med, 2025), but clinical viability is limited by scarring, neuronal loss, and average lifespan of under two years. 8-10-µm-diameter carbon fiber arrays (CFAs) are ∼10 times thinner, biocompatible and electrophysiologically stable over time (Patel…Chestek, JNE, 2016). However, successful implantation of sub-10-µm-electrode arrays in animals larger than rodents remains unreported due to inherent buckling and breakage of tiny electrodes. METHODS: Insertional forces, cortical dimpling and histological responses were obtained following acute implantation of 8-10-µm-diameter, 1 mm-length, 400 µm-spaced, 10 × 10 CFAs versus UEAs into N = 4 sheep cortex. Hemorrhage was quantified with automated analysis of epi-illuminated 300 µm slices. Acute electrophysiology was recorded from CFAs in N = 1 rhesus macaque. RESULTS: At an insertion rate of 0.1 mm/s, 13/14 acute CFA implantations were successful, with <50 mN of force, <2 mm of brain dimpling, and no visible bleeding; 9/9 UEA insertions failed even with significantly higher forces and dimpling than CFAs (p < 0.05). There was no significant hemorrhage around CFs compared to control, unlike pneumatically inserted UEA shanks (p < 0.05). Acute recording from macaque cortex yielded neuronal units in 30/35 functional electrode channels within 10 minutes of implantation. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time we demonstrate successful insertion of a sub-10-µm-diameter-electrode array in a large animal. Unlike the UEA, CFAs insert with lower force and less dimpling, no visible bleeding, and are able to obtain signals within minutes. Current and future work includes ongoing immunohistochemistry, chronic implants, individualized wireless designs, and recording in humans. CFAs have the potential for a next-generation, clinically viable BCI.

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