Z-Coat: Optimized Site Coating for Stimulation and Noise Reduction
Technical Note
Document Title: Z-Coat: Optimized Site Coating for Stimulation and Noise Reduction
Document Number: NN-TN-2025-009
Version: 1.0
Date: March 16, 2025
Author: NeuroNexus Technical Support Team
Revision History: N/A (Initial Release)
Status: Approved for Publication
Intended Audience: Researchers conducting neural recordings with NeuroNexus electrode arrays
For Research Use Only: This document is intended exclusively for non-clinical, research applications and is not suitable for human or veterinary medical use.
Application Area: Electrophysiology techniques, electrodes, micro-scale neural interfaces, brain-computer interfaces
For Research Use Only: This document is intended exclusively for non-clinical, research applications and is not suitable for human or veterinary medical use.
Related Resources:
What is Z-Coat?
Z-Coat is a novel, proprietary electrode material that is only available at NeuroNexus and designed specifically to address shortcomings of conventional conductive polymers in the field of neuroscience research. Z-Coat alters the electrode surface topography by increasing the effective surface area, while retaining the original geometric surface area. Z-Coat is mechanically stable and suitable for repeated electrode insertion, in vivo.
Key Advantages of Z-Coat:
- Reduced Impedance: Lowers impedance by a factor of 10, significantly improving electrode sensitivity.
- Minimized Signal Attenuation: Enhances signal transmission through improved interactions with amplifiers.
- Lowered Noise Floor: Reduces background noise, resulting in clearer recordings.
- Reduced Photoelectric Artifacts: Minimizes photoelectric artifacts associated with optical stimulation, enhancing optogenetic research.
Applications in Neuroscience:
- Designed specifically for improved performance of microelectrode arrays in neuroscience research.
- Enables high-quality neural recordings, particularly beneficial for detecting low-amplitude neuronal signals.
- Ideal for repeated electrode usage in vivo due to its mechanical stability and durability.
