Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:33:36.119Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

RF Coupling of Interdigitated Electrode Array on Aerogels for in vivo Nerve Guidance Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2019

Jacob Hadley
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics and Materials Science, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. 38152
Jack Hirschman
Affiliation:
MemphisCRESH, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152
Bashir I. Morshed
Affiliation:
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, 38152
Firouzeh Sabri*
Affiliation:
Dept. of Physics and Materials Science, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. 38152
*
Get access

Abstract

Aerogels are light-weight porous materials that can tolerate the processing steps required for designing and creating an electric circuit such that the aerogel can be utilized as a substrate for device fabrication. Previous studies have shown the biostability and biocompatibility of polyurea crosslinked silica aerogels both in vivo and in vitro and have demonstrated the potential use of aerogels in biomedical applications. In vitro studies have shown that in the presence of an applied electric field neurites regeneration rate was greater on crosslinked silica aerogels than on tissue culture petridish used as a positive control. Currently, epineural suturing and nerve grafting are the gold standards for surgical reconstruction of injured nerves. However, because they rely on passive mechanisms for reapproximating the distal and proximal terminals they often lead to partial or no recovery leaving room for improvement. The present study investigates the feasibility of a wireless aerogel–based electrically-stimulating implant intended for nerve repair applications. Here the authors report on RF coupling between a secondary coil and a primary coil to wirelessly energize an interdigitated electrode array consisting of eleven interlocking fingers, created on a silica aerogel substrate. The coupling strength was tested both in air and in an animal model, as a function of distance and will be reported. This study focuses on in vivo evaluation and feasibility assessment of a novel active 3-D aerogel-based peripheral nerve repair device. The device utilizes induced EMF to establish a current (hence electrical stimulation) in predetermined pathways where nerve stumps will be confined to. Fundamental differences between in vitro and in vivo models necessitate the in vivo approach. The novel inductively-powered electrical stimulation aerogel-based device utilizes previously established 3-D confinement method for immobilization of nerve stumps, taking advantage of the mesoscopic surface roughness, unique to aerogels. The technique is tested on a mechanically strong, lightweight, porous, and biostable aerogel. Lithographic techniques, gold (Au) thin film metallization, and Faraday induction is used for circuit design, development, and activation.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Liao, C., Wan, H. , Qi, S., Cui, C., Patel, P., Sun, W. et al. Journal of Tissue Engineering. 4,1 (2013)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
D Evans, G.R., The Anatomical Record, 263,396 (2001)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, W.W.. Clinical Neurophysiology, 119, 1951(2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, C.M. and Khan, W.. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 6,103(2012)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pfister, L.A., Papalo, M., Merkle, H.P., Gander, B.. Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System 12,65(2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, C., Kou, Y., Zhang, P., Han, N., Yin, X., Deng, J., Jiang, B.. PLoS ONE e105045(2014)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nix, W. A., Hopf, H. C.. Research, 272, 21(1983)Google Scholar
Sabri, F., Gerth, D., Tamula, G.M., Phung, T.N., Lynch, K.J., Boughter, J. D. Jr. J Invest Surg. 27, 294(2014)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynch, K. J., Skalli, O., and Sabri, F.. Journal of functional biomaterials 9, 30 (2018)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Al Soyeb, S., Morshed, B. I., Sabri, F.. Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Conference (BSEC), Oak Ridge, TN, pp. 1-4 (2013)Google Scholar
Sala Rodriguez, M., Lynch, K., Chandrasekaran, S., Skalli, O., Worsley, M., Sabri, F.. MRS Communications 8(4) (2018)Google Scholar
Ho, J. S., Sanghoek, K., Poon, A. S. Y.. Proceedings of the IEEE. 101, 1369 (2013)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tang, S. C.. Emerging and selected topics in power electronics. 3(1):242-251(2015)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bocan, K. N., Sejdić, E.. Sensors 16, 393(2016)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, H., Rao, S., Tang, S.-J, Tibbals, H.F., Spechler, S., Chiao, J.-C.. Gastrointest. Endos. 77, 649(2013)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xue, N., Cho, S. H., Chang, S. P., and Lee, J. B., J. Micromech. Microeng. 22, 075008 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar