Opie Nicholas Lachlan, van der Nagel Nicole R, John Sam E, Vessey Kirstan, Rind Gil S, Ronayne Stephen M, Fletcher Erica L, May Clive N, OBrien Terence J, Oxley Thomas J
IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2017 Apr;64(4):928-934. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2016.2552226. Epub 2016 Jun 21.
Recently, we reported the development of a stent-mounted electrode array (Stentrode) capable of chronically recording neural signals from within a blood vessel with high fidelity. Preliminary data suggested incorporation of the Stentrode into the blood vessel wall was associated with improved recording sensitivity. We now investigate neointimal incorporation of the Stentrode, implanted in a cohort of sheep for up to 190 days.
Micro-CT, obtained from the Imaging and Medical Beamline at the Australian Synchrotron, and histomorphometic techniques developed specifically for evaluation of cerebral vasculature implanted with a stent-electrode array were compared as measures to assess device incorporation and vessel patency.
Both micro-CT analysis and histomorphometry, revealed a strong correlation between implant duration and the number of incorporated stent struts. <10% (26/268) of stent struts were covered in neointima in sheep implanted for <2 weeks, increasing to >78% (191/243) between 2 and 4 weeks. Average strut-to-lumen thickness from animals implanted >12 weeks was comparable across both modalities, 339 ±15 μm measured using micro-CT and 331 ±19 μm ( n = 292) measured histologically. There was a strong correlation between lumen areas measured using the two modalities ( ), with no observation of vessel occlusion observed from any of the 12 animals implanted for up to 190 days.
Micro-CT and the histomorphometric techniques we developed are comparable and can both be used to identify incorporation of a Stentrode implanted in cerebral vessels.
This study demonstrates preliminary safety of a stent-electrode array implanted in cerebral vasculature, which may facilitate technological advances in minimally invasive brain-computer interfaces.
最近，我们报道了一种能够高保真地长期记录血管内神经信号的支架式电极阵列（Stentrode）的研发情况。初步数据表明，将Stentrode植入血管壁可提高记录灵敏度。我们现在研究植入一群绵羊体内长达190天的Stentrode的新生内膜植入情况。
比较了从澳大利亚同步加速器的成像和医学光束线获得的微型计算机断层扫描（Micro-CT）以及专门为评估植入支架电极阵列的脑血管而开发的组织形态计量学技术，以此作为评估装置植入情况和血管通畅性的手段。
微型计算机断层扫描分析和组织形态计量学均显示，植入持续时间与植入的支架支柱数量之间存在很强的相关性。植入时间小于2周的绵羊中，<10%（26/268）的支架支柱被新生内膜覆盖，在2至4周之间增加到>78%（191/243）。植入超过12周的动物的平均支柱到管腔厚度在两种方法中相当，微型计算机断层扫描测量为339±15μm，组织学测量为331±19μm（n = 292）。两种方法测量的管腔面积之间存在很强的相关性（ ），在植入长达190天的12只动物中均未观察到血管闭塞。
微型计算机断层扫描和我们开发的组织形态计量学技术具有可比性，均可用于识别植入脑血管中的Stentrode的植入情况。
本研究证明了植入脑血管的支架电极阵列的初步安全性，这可能有助于微创脑机接口的技术进步。
