MINIATURE, FLEXIBLE CABLE FOR IN VIVO APPLICATION

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP SUITABLE CABLE INTERCONNECT MEDIA FOR IN VIVO APPLICATIONS. THE APPROACH IS TO EXPLORE AND EXTEND METHODS CURRENTLY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF PRECISION ELECTRICAL CABLE, INCLUDING DISPERSION COATING, LAMINATION, AND ENCAPSULATION, IN COMBINATION WITH THE USE OF BIOCOMPATIBLE MATERIALS TO DEVELOP MEDIA THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, MORE FLEXIBLE,AND MORE RELIABLE THAN THAT WHICH CURRENTLY EXIST. IN PHASE I, THE FEASIBILITY OF SEVERAL PROCESSES WILL BE INVESTIGATED BY PRODUCING LABORATORY SAMPLES SUITABLE FOR QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS. TWO ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS WILL BE PURSUED: A MULTICONDUCTOR CONCENTRIC SAMPLE AND A PLANAR RIBBONIZED SAMPLE. METHODS AND TECHNIQUES TO TERMINATE EACH CONFIGURATION TO PLANAR ELECTRODES SPACED AT 75 AND 300 MICRONS WILL BE EXPLORED. COMPREHENSIVE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND PRELIMINARY BIOCOMPATIBILITY CHARACTERIZATION OF THE LABORATORY SAMPLES WILL BE PERFORMED TO ASSESS THE SUITABILITY FOR THE IN VIVO APPLICATION. THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OBTAINED DURING PHASEI SHOULD PROVIDE INSIGHT APPROPRIATE TO DIRECTING LARGER SCALE MANUFACTURING AND MORE EXTENSIVE BIOCOMPATIBILITY STUDIES AS PART OF THE PHASE II RESEARCH. SUCCESSFUL INTERCONNECT MEDIA WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATE APPLICATION IN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH AND COMMERCIAL EFFORTS UNDERWAY TO DEVELOP A VARIETY OF DIAGNOSTIC, PROSTHETIC, AND THERAPEUTICMEDICAL DEVICES.