Greenbaum Elias, Humayun Mark S, Sanders Charlene A, Close Dan, O'Neill Hugh M, Evans Barbara R
Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2009 Feb;56(2):528-31. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2008.2003263. Epub 2009 Mar 16.
This communication discloses new ideas and preliminary results on the development of a metabolic prosthesis for local oxygenation of ischemic tissue under physiologically neutral conditions. We report for the first time selective electrolysis of physiological saline by repetitively pulsed, charge-limited electrolysis for the production of oxygen and suppression of free chlorine. Using 800-microA amplitude current pulses and < 200 micros pulse duration, we demonstrate prompt oxygen production and delayed chlorine production at the surface of a fused 0.85-mm diameter spherical platinum electrode. The data, interpreted in terms of the ionic structure of the electric double layer, suggest a strategy for in situ production of metabolic oxygen via a new class of "smart" prosthetic implants for ischemic disease such as diabetic retinopathy. We also present data indicating that collateral pH drift, if any, can be held constant using a feedback-controlled three-electrode electrolysis system that chooses an anode and cathode pair based on pH data provided by a local sensor.
