CAREER: A Robust, Chronic Neural Prosthesis Using High-Capacity Graphene Electrodes and Biodegradable Silicon Support

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Cheng1055932Neural implants used for short term (acute) applications have had major success in research settings and monkey experiments. However, neural implants have had limited clinical success due to the lack of a robust, chronic implantable device. The lack of chronic implant technology represents a significant problem in healthcare because the majority of neural disorders and diseases require chronic treatment, including blindness, deafness, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury. The PI's long-term goal is to research a robust, high-performance, chronic implantable system that integrates microfabrication and biomaterials for the improvement of quality of life and for the study of neural networks at micro/nano and molecular scales. In pursuit of this goal, the research objective of this CAREER proposal is to use innovative advances in neural implantable materials, including (i) elucidate the mechanism of charge injections of graphene, a novel carbon material, in physiological environments and (ii) understand and manipulate the interface between the brain tissue and implantable electrodes using a porous silicon backbone support that is slowly and safely biodegraded into brain tissue while releasing anti-inflammatory medication (dexamethasone) with time. The PI proposes to initiate and lead a substantial research effort to:- Apply graphene to electrode materials for neural stimulation and recording.- Apply biocompatible biodegradable porous silicon to the interface of neural prostheses.- Integrate graphene and porous silicon into a neural implant and optimize mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and drug delivery efficiency.-Investigate in-vivo functional test and biocompatibility study of the neural implant.Intellectual Merit This proposed research will help advance fundamental knowledge of the interaction between neural system and biomaterials of different electrochemical, mechanical and material properties. Understanding the fundamental mechanism is important in the development of neural prosthesis to aid people with disabilities. If successful, this research will enable us to study and understand the activities of single-neurons in the brain because our method not only eliminates the noises caused by micro-motions but also provides reliable, high-resolution and long-term neuron stimulation and recording. This research has a broad range of applications, such as neuroscience, drug delivery, bioelectronics, biosensor and security.Broader Impact The real-time sensing and treatment by neural implants can be used to treat a variety of neurological maladies. More than 200,000 patients with full or partial paralysis may benefit from this technology in the US alone. The cost of care for these patients is well over $200 billion per year. Long-term neural recording can provide a high-resolution, real-time signal needed for prosthetic devices. This also offers possible treatment of neuron disorders, such as paralysis, blindness, deafness and Parkinson's disease. The PI's educational goals are to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in engineering and to prepare students for a professional engineering career. The PI proposes a comprehensive education and outreach plan that includes mentoring graduates, undergraduates and students from underrepresented groups, and integrating research results with classroom teaching such as MEMS/NEMS and enabling technologies. The proposed educational plan will be accomplished through NSF-sponsored SURA and REU programs to recruit underrepresented undergraduate students and students with disabilities at Wayne State University (WSU). The PI collaborates with the Detroit Science Center (DSC) in the series of "Nano Days" and "Nano Summer Camp" to engage women and underrepresented K-12 kids with nanotechnology. The PI will organize annual Nano Symposium/workshop at WSU to broadly disseminate nanotechnology and biomedical research to academics and local industry in Southeastern Michigan.