THIN-FILM PERIPHERAL NERVE ELECTRODE

WE WILL DEVELOP AND EVALUATE NOVEL CIRCUMNEURAL ELECTRODES WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH SELECTIVITY AND GRADED RESPONSES. THE PROCESSING ADVANTAGES OF THIN FILM TECHNOLOGY WILL BE USED TO FABRICATE ELECTRODES WITH UP TO 16 INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLLED CHARGE INJECTION SITES ARRAYED ON A CIRCUMNEURAL CUFF. THE THIN FILM DESIGN OFFERS LATITUDE IN CHOICE OF SHAPE AND LOCATION OF ACTIVE ELECTRODE SITES. THE INITIAL ARRAY DESIGNS WILL ALLOW DETAILED EVALUATION OF EMERGING STIMULATION PROTOCOLS THAT MODEL PHYSIOLOGICAL RECRUITMENT ORDER AND ALLOW SELECTIVE ACTIVATION WITHIN MULTIFASCICULAR NERVES. THE CUFF, FABRICATED FROM THERMOFORMED FLUOROCARBON POLYMERS, IS SELF-SIZING AND MAY BE SELECTIVELY PERFORATED AS REQUIRED TO ENCOURAGE OR DISCOURAGE FIBROUS ENCAPSULATION AND ALLOW TRANSPORT OF INTERSTITIAL FLUID TO THE NERVE. IN PHASE I, PROTOTYPE ELECTODES WILL BE FABRICATED AND THEIR ELECTROCHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES EVALUATED IN VITRO. IN VIVO BIOCOMPATABILITY AND PASSIVE NEUROPATHOLOGY OF IMPLANTED ELECTRODES WILL BE EVALUATED HISTOLOGICALLY USING A CAT MODEL. IN PHASE II, ELECTRODES WILL BE INTERFACES WITH A MULTICHANNEL IMPLANTABLE STIMULATOR, AND STIMULATION ALGORITHMS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR SELECTIVITY AND GRADED ACTIVATION OF MUSCLE GROUPS SIMILAR TO THOSE USED IN HUMAN GRASP USING AN ANIMAL MODEL WITH DIGIT DEXTERITY.