Branner Almut, Stein Richard B, Fernandez Eduardo, Aoyagi Yoichiro, Normann Richard A
Center for Neural Interfaces, Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2004 Jan;51(1):146-57. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2003.820321.
We studied the consequences of long-term implantation of a penetrating microelectrode array in peripheral nerve over the time course of 4-6 mo. Electrode arrays without lead wires were implanted to test the ability of different containment systems to protect the array and nerve during contractions of surrounding muscles. Treadmill walking was monitored and the animals showed no functional deficits as a result of implantation. In a different set of experiments, electrodes with lead wires were implanted for up to 7 mo and the animals were tested at 2-4 week intervals at which time stimulation thresholds and recorded sensory activity were monitored for every electrode. It was shown that surgical technique highly affected the long-term stimulation results. Results between measurement sessions were compared, and in the best case, the stimulation properties stabilized in 80% of the electrodes over the course of the experiment (162 days). The recorded sensory signals, however, were not stable over time. A histological analysis performed on all implanted tissues indicated that the morphology and fiber density of the nerve around the electrodes were normal.
我们研究了在4 - 6个月的时间内，将穿透式微电极阵列长期植入外周神经的后果。植入了无引线的电极阵列，以测试不同的容纳系统在周围肌肉收缩期间保护阵列和神经的能力。监测了跑步机行走情况，结果表明动物并未因植入而出现功能缺陷。在另一组实验中，植入了带引线的电极长达7个月，并每隔2 - 4周对动物进行测试，在此期间监测每个电极的刺激阈值和记录的感觉活动。结果表明，手术技术对长期刺激结果有很大影响。比较了各测量时段之间的结果，在最佳情况下，在实验过程（162天）中，80%的电极的刺激特性趋于稳定。然而，记录的感觉信号随时间并不稳定。对所有植入组织进行的组织学分析表明，电极周围神经的形态和纤维密度正常。
