Electrochemical Evaluation of Layer-by-Layer Drug Delivery Coating for Neural Interfaces.

Intracortical microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are valuable tools for neuroscience research, and their potential clinical use has been demonstrated. However, their inability to function reliably over chronic time points has limited their clinical translation. MEA failure is highly correlated with foreign body response (FBR), and therapeutics have been used to reduce FBR and improve device function, with drugs such as minocycline showing promising results .

Tissue-Engineered Peripheral Nerve Interfaces.

Research on neural interfaces has historically concentrated on development of systems for the brain; however, there is increasing interest in peripheral nerve interfaces (PNIs) that could provide benefit when peripheral nerve function is compromised, such as for amputees. Efforts focus on designing scalable and high-performance sensory and motor peripheral nervous system interfaces. Current PNIs face several design challenges such as undersampling of signals from the thousands of axons, nerve-fiber selectivity, and device-tissue integration.

Foreign Body Response to Intracortical Microelectrodes Is Not Altered with Dip-Coating of Polyethylene Glycol (PEG).

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is a frequently used polymer for neural implants due to its biocompatible property. As a follow-up to our recent study that used PEG for stiffening flexible neural probes, we have evaluated the biological implications of using devices dip-coated with PEG for chronic neural implants. Mice (wild-type and CX3CR1-GFP) received bilateral implants within the sensorimotor cortex, one hemisphere with a PEG-coated probe and the other with a non-coated probe for 4 weeks.

The effect of multiple thin-film coatings of protein loaded sol-gel on total multi-electrode array thickness.

Tetramethyl orthosilicate shows promise as a thin-film delivery vehicle for multi-electrode arrays for drug release and electrical performance; however, its effect upon device footprint has yet to be assessed. Using a previously established silicon wafer chip model, the thickness of one, two, and four protein doped coatings of sol-gel were analyzed via profilometry. Coating thickness was found to be 0.