Flavin Matthew T, Paul Marek A, Lim Alexander S, Abdulhamed Senan, Lissandrello Charles A, Ajemian Robert, Lin Samuel J, Han Jongyoon
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.
Front Neurosci. 2021 Feb 16;15:628778. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2021.628778. eCollection 2021.
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.
对于许多外周神经调制应用而言，袖带电极已成为将电流输送到目标组织体积中的首选技术。虽然具有纵向排列触点、空间选择性较低的基本袖带可以通过相对简单的工艺生产，但制造更复杂的电极配置通常需要反复设计并由技术熟练的技术人员在洁净室中制造。尽管存在制造袖带电极的简便方法，但其产品的不一致性限制了它们在快速制造中的应用。在本文中，我们报告了一种用于在可植入外周神经袖带中对电极触点进行图案化的快速、低成本制造工艺。按照我们规定的方法使用激光切割机，设计人员可以制作出批次间一致的精确触点几何形状。该方法通过使用硅酮/炭黑（CB）复合电极得以实现，这种电极与其基底管状硅酮绝缘材料的图案化表面相结合。其产品的尺寸和特征可以进行调整，以适应各种神经直径和应用。在本研究中，我们具体记录了用于急性植入大鼠坐骨神经的具有三个径向排列触点的环极袖带的制造和评估。作为该方法的一部分，我们还详细介绍了可植入袖带电极的验证（电化学表征）和验证（电生理评估）方案。应用于我们的环极袖带电极，我们报告了良好的电学特性。此外，我们报告它再现了先前文献中描述的预期电生理行为。我们的生产过程不需要专门的设备或制造经验，并且与市售解决方案相比，成本可以忽略不计。正如我们所证明的，由于这个过程能够产生一致且精确的电极几何形状，我们认为它在快速制造中具有很强的优势。
