Designing tyrosine-derived polycarbonate polymers for biodegradable regenerative type neural interface capable of neural recording

Dan Lewitus, R. Jacob Vogelstein, Gehua Zhen, Young Seok Choi, Joachim Kohn, Stuart Harshbarger, Xiaofeng Jia

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Next-generation neuroprosthetic limbs will require a reliable long-term neural interface to residual nerves in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). To this end, we have developed novel biocompatible materials and a fabrication technique to create high site-count microelectrodes for stimulating and recording from regenerated peripheral nerves. Our electrodes are based on a biodegradable tyrosine-derived polycarbonate polymer system with suitable degradation and erosion properties and a fabrication technique for deployment of the polymer in a porous, degradable, regenerative, multiluminal, multielectrode conduit. The in vitro properties of the polymer and the electrode were tuned to retain mechanical strength for over 24 days and to completely degrade and erode within 220 days. The fabrication technique resulted in a multiluminal conduit with at least 10 functioning electrodes maintaining recording site impedance in the single-digit kOhm range. Additionally, in vivo results showed that neural signals could be recorded from these devices starting at four weeks postimplantation and that signal strength increased over time. We conclude that our biodegradable regenerative-type neural interface is a good candidate for chronic high fidelity recording electrodes for integration with regenerated peripheral nerves.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number5664798
Pages (from-to)204-212
Number of pages9
JournalIEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering
Volume19
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Biodegradable
  • electrode
  • interface
  • neuroprosthetics
  • peripheral nerve
  • regenerative

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • General Neuroscience
  • Biomedical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Designing tyrosine-derived polycarbonate polymers for biodegradable regenerative type neural interface capable of neural recording'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this