4D-printed small peripheral nerve interfaces for stimulation and electrophysiological recording

Bernhard Wolfrum^a, Lukas Hiendlmeier^a, Francisco Zurita^a, Sebastian Freko^a, Tetsuhiko Teshima^b, Fulvia Del Duca^a, George Al Boustani^a, Hu Peng^a, Inola Kopic^a, Marta Nikić^a, Defne Tüzün^a

^aNeuroelectronics, Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Piloty-Str. 1, 85748, Garching, Germany

^bMedical & Health Informatics Laboratories, NTT Research Incorporated, 940 Stewart Dr, Sunnyvale, CA, 94085 USA

Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS)
Proceedings of MATSUS Fall 2023 Conference (MATSUSFall23)

#BIOEL - Bioelectronics

Torremolinos, Spain, 2023 October 16th - 20th

Organizers: Francesca Santoro and Achilleas Savva

Invited Speaker, Bernhard Wolfrum, presentation 103
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.matsus.2023.103
Publication date: 18th July 2023

We present a novel concept for cuff electrodes that greatly simplifies the insertion procedure on nerves as small as 100 µm. Cuff electrodes serve as peripheral nerve interfaces for neural stimulation or recording, with various applications including chronic pain management, sleep apnea treatment, and high blood pressure control. Existing methods for securing cuff electrodes on larger nerves in the millimeter range rely on surgical threading, zip tie-like closing mechanisms, or prefolded spiral cuff geometries. While these approaches are effective for larger nerves containing multiple fibers branching out to different target regions, they present challenges when targeting smaller nerves with diameters of 100 µm or below. The fragility of such nerves and the difficulties in handling small probes make interfacing with typical cuff electrode systems a challenging task.

To overcome these challenges, our approach leverages 3D and 4D printing techniques, in combination with flexible and superabsorbent materials. These materials readily conform to the shape of the nerve upon contact with body fluid, allowing the electrodes to wrap around the nerve without requiring manual deformation [1]. This approach reduces the risk of nerve damage during implantation. Notably, we have successfully implanted these devices in a locust model and demonstrated their efficacy in recording and stimulating neural activity as well as associated muscle activation. The geometric design of our cuff electrodes features electrodes distributed along both the axial and circumferential directions, enabling enhanced spatially selective sensing and stimulation capabilities.

In summary, our nerve cuff electrode concept offers a transformative solution for the implantation of electrodes on ultra-small nerves, streamlining the procedure and minimizing potential harm. Through the utilization of state-of-the-art rapid fabrication techniques and adaptable materials, we have developed a simple procedure for recording and stimulating of neural activity. The incorporation of electrodes distributed along multiple directions further enhances the potential for selective sensing and stimulation.

References:

[1] Hiendlmeier, L., Zurita, F., Vogel, J., Del Duca, F., Al Boustani, G., Peng, H., Kopic, I., Nikić, M., F. Teshima, T., Wolfrum, B., 4D-Printed Soft and Stretchable Self-Folding Cuff Electrodes for Small-Nerve Interfacing. Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2210206.

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