A Regenerative Electrode for Peripheral Nerves (REPiN)

周围神经再生电极 (REPiN)

• 批准号: 0651716
• 负责人: Ravi Bellamkonda
• 金额: $ 30.27万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-07-15 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0651716&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Regenerative; Electrode; Peripheral; Nerves; REPiN

0651716BellamkondaTechnological advancements in protective gear and associated technologies have succeeded in saving lives. However, there has been a resultant increase in limb amputations in both military and civilian populations. While the design of prosthetics to serve this population has improved significantly, there remains a critical gap in the ability to control prosthetic limbs in a natural, biomimetic manner by directly interfacing them to the nervous system. Attempts to integrate electrodes with the nervous system have failed to meet a number of criteria necessary to create a highly functional interface -- they lack specificity of signal, high enough number of channels of information, or are too invasive to achieve sufficient contacts with the regenerating nerve. The design and implementation of a seamless, bi-directional nerve-electrode interface between a surviving nerve stump and external electronics would represent a significant advance. This proposal will develop an innovative, regenerative electrode for peripheral nerves (REPiN) using a novel design that will generate a high-channel bi-directional interface, between peripheral nerves and external electronics. The research approach outlined in this application is enabled by the recent discovery in the PI's laboratory that oriented polymeric nanofibers stimulate Schwann cell migration along the nanofibers, facilitating fiber guided neurite extension and regeneration of across long nerve gaps. The proposed approach is to embed thin-film electrodes within oriented polymeric nanofiber films, present the nanofiber films to a peripheral nerve stump in a tubular prosthesis, facilitating the regenerating nerves to interface with external electronics. By embedding thin film electrodes onto nanofiber based scaffolds/films, it is possible to essentially 'bring' the regenerating axons to the electrodes in a controlled fashion. Two specific aims have been identified to accomplish this goal.

0651716 Bellamkonda防护装备和相关技术的技术进步成功地挽救了生命。然而，结果造成军人和平民截肢的人数增加。虽然为这一人群服务的假肢的设计已经有了显着改进，但通过直接将假肢与神经系统连接，以自然的仿生方式控制假肢的能力仍然存在关键差距。将电极与神经系统整合的尝试未能满足创建高功能界面所需的许多标准-它们缺乏信号的特异性，足够多的信息通道，或者侵入性太强，无法与再生神经实现充分接触。在幸存的神经残端和外部电子设备之间设计和实现无缝的双向神经电极接口将代表一个重大的进步。该提案将开发一种创新的周围神经再生电极（REPiN），使用一种新颖的设计，该设计将在周围神经和外部电子设备之间产生高通道双向接口。本申请中概述的研究方法是通过PI实验室最近的发现实现的，该发现是定向聚合物纳米纤维刺激许旺细胞沿纳米纤维沿着迁移，促进纤维引导的神经突延伸和跨越长神经间隙的再生。所提出的方法是将薄膜电极嵌入定向聚合物薄膜内，将薄膜呈现给管状假体中的外周神经残端，促进再生神经与外部电子器件的接口。通过将薄膜电极嵌入到基于纤维素的支架/膜上，可以基本上以受控的方式将再生轴突“带到”电极。为实现这一目标，确定了两个具体目标。