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Flavin MT, Paul MA, Lim AS, Abdulhamed S, Lissandrello CA, Ajemian R, Lin SJ, Han J. Rapid and Low Cost Manufacturing of Cuff Electrodes. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:628778. [PMID: 33664647 PMCID: PMC7920973 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.628778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For many peripheral neuro-modulation applications, the cuff electrode has become a preferred technology for delivering electrical current into targeted volumes of tissue. While basic cuffs with low spatial selectivity, having longitudinally arranged contacts, can be produced from relatively straightforward processes, the fabrication of more complex electrode configurations typically requires iterative design and clean-room fabrication with skilled technicians. Although facile methods for fabricating cuff electrodes exist, their inconsistent products have limited their adoption for rapid manufacturing. In this article, we report a fast, low-cost fabrication process for patterning of electrode contacts in an implantable peripheral nerve cuff. Using a laser cutter as we have prescribed, the designer can render precise contact geometries that are consistent between batches. This method is enabled by the use of silicone/carbon black (CB) composite electrodes, which integrate with the patterned surface of its substrate-tubular silicone insulation. The size and features of its products can be adapted to fit a wide range of nerve diameters and applications. In this study, we specifically documented the manufacturing and evaluation of circumpolar cuffs with radial arrays of three contacts for acute implantation on the rat sciatic nerve. As part of this method, we also detail protocols for verification-electrochemical characterization-and validation-electrophysiological evaluation-of implantable cuff electrodes. Applied to our circumpolar cuff electrode, we report favorable electrical characteristics. In addition, we report that it reproduces expected electrophysiological behaviors described in prior literature. No specialized equipment or fabrication experience was required in our production, and we encountered negligible costs relative to commercially available solutions. Since, as we demonstrate, this process generates consistent and precise electrode geometries, we propose that it has strong merits for use in rapid manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Flavin
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Marek A. Paul
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, Lower Silesia Specialist Hospital, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Alexander S. Lim
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Senan Abdulhamed
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Robert Ajemian
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Samuel J. Lin
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jongyoon Han
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Pancrazio JJ, Cogan SF. Editorial for the Special Issue on Neural Electrodes: Design and Applications. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E466. [PMID: 31336980 PMCID: PMC6680485 DOI: 10.3390/mi10070466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neural electrodes enable the recording and stimulation of bioelectrical activity from the nervous system [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Pancrazio
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, BSB 13.633, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
| | - Stuart F Cogan
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, BSB 13.633, Richardson, TX 75080, USA.
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