Lee Yeongjun, Liu Yuxin, Seo Dae-Gyo, Oh Jin Young, Kim Yeongin, Li Jinxing, Kang Jiheong, Kim Jaemin, Mun Jaewan, Foudeh Amir M, Bao Zhenan, Lee Tae-Woo
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Nat Biomed Eng. 2023 Apr;7(4):511-519. doi: 10.1038/s41551-022-00918-x. Epub 2022 Aug 15.
By relaying neural signals from the motor cortex to muscles, devices for neurorehabilitation can enhance the movement of limbs in which nerves have been damaged as a consequence of injuries affecting the spinal cord or the lower motor neurons. However, conventional neuroprosthetic devices are rigid and power-hungry. Here we report a stretchable neuromorphic implant that restores coordinated and smooth motions in the legs of mice with neurological motor disorders, enabling the animals to kick a ball, walk or run. The neuromorphic implant acts as an artificial efferent nerve by generating electrophysiological signals from excitatory post-synaptic signals and by providing proprioceptive feedback. The device operates at low power (~1/150 that of a typical microprocessor system), and consists of hydrogel electrodes connected to a stretchable transistor incorporating an organic semiconducting nanowire (acting as an artificial synapse), connected via an ion gel to an artificial proprioceptor incorporating a carbon nanotube strain sensor (acting as an artificial muscle spindle). Stretchable electronics with proprioceptive feedback may inspire the further development of advanced neuromorphic devices for neurorehabilitation.
通过将神经信号从运动皮层传递到肌肉，神经康复设备可以增强因脊髓或下运动神经元损伤而导致神经受损的肢体的运动。然而，传统的神经假体设备既僵硬又耗电。在此，我们报告一种可拉伸的神经形态植入物，它能恢复患有神经运动障碍的小鼠腿部的协调和平滑运动，使这些动物能够踢球、行走或奔跑。该神经形态植入物通过从兴奋性突触后信号生成电生理信号并提供本体感觉反馈，起到人工传出神经的作用。该设备低功耗运行（约为典型微处理器系统的1/150），由连接到包含有机半导体纳米线的可拉伸晶体管（充当人工突触）的水凝胶电极组成，通过离子凝胶连接到包含碳纳米管应变传感器（充当人工肌梭）的人工本体感受器。具有本体感觉反馈的可拉伸电子设备可能会推动用于神经康复的先进神经形态设备的进一步发展。
