Single cell trapping by capillary pumping using NOA81 replica moulded stencils

\u3cp\u3eIn this contribution, we demonstrate that the optical adhesive NOA81 (Norland Products Inc.) can be used to replicate optically transparent single cell microsieve structures with exquisite resolution, enabling the fabrication of cheap stencils for single cell trapping applications by the combination of replica moulding and laser micromachining. In addition, we demonstrate an interesting capillary pumping mechanism for gently loading single neuronal cells which eliminates the need for equipment such as pumps and syringes. We demonstrate that capillary pumping through a microsieve generates gentle cell trapping velocities (<13.3 μm/s), enabling reproducible cell trapping efficiencies of 80% with high cell survival rates (90% over 1 week of culture) and facilitating the formation of spatially standardized neuronal networks.\u3c/p\u3

Microelectrode Arrays for Simultaneous Electrophysiology and Advanced Optical Microscopy

Advanced optical imaging techniques address important biological questions in neuroscience, where structures such as synapses are below the resolution limit of a conventional microscope. At the same time, microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are indispensable in understanding the language of neurons. Here, the authors show transparent MEAs capable of recording action potentials from neurons and compatible with advanced microscopy. The electrodes are made of the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) and are patterned by optical lithography, ensuring scalable fabrication with good control over device parameters. A thickness of 380 nm ensures low enough impedance and >75% transparency throughout the visible part of the spectrum making them suitable for artefact-free recording in the presence of laser illumination. Using primary neuronal cells, the arrays record single units from multiple nearby sources with a signal-to-noise ratio of 7.7 (17.7 dB). Additionally, it is possible to perform calcium (Ca2+) imaging, a measure of neuronal activity, using the novel transparent electrodes. Different biomarkers are imaged through the electrodes using conventional and super-resolution microscopy (SRM), showing no qualitative differences compared to glass substrates. These transparent MEAs pave the way for harnessing the synergy between the superior temporal resolution of electrophysiology and the selectivity and high spatial resolution of optical imaging

The essential elements for a nursing home according to stakeholders from healthcare and technology:perspectives from multiple simultaneous monodisciplinary workshops

\u3cp\u3eTechnology and architectural solutions are needed as a means of support in future nursing homes. This study investigated how various monodisciplinary groups of stakeholders from healthcare and technology envision the nursing home of the future and which elements are necessary for its creation. Moreover, differences in needs and interests between the various stakeholders were considered. This qualitative study gathered data via 10 simultaneous sticky note brainstorm sessions with 95 professional stakeholders, which resulted in 1459 quotes in five categories that were clustered into themes and processed into word clouds. The stakeholders prioritized the needs of the resident and placed the most importance on the fact that a nursing home is primarily a place to live in the final stages of one's life. A mix of factors related to the quality of care and the quality of the built environment and technology is needed. Given the fact that there are differences in what monodisciplinary groups of stakeholders see as an ideal nursing home, multidisciplinary approaches should be pursued in practice to incorporate as many new views and stakeholder needs as possible.\u3c/p\u3