Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Engineering, Biomedical, Neurosciences, Engineering, Neurosciences & Neurology, coatings, resorbable carrier, ECM, temporary reinforcement, ECOG, neural implants, SMALL-INTESTINAL SUBMUCOSA, ELECTRODE ARRAYS, ECM HYDROGEL, POLYIMIDE, TISSUE, Adsorption, Animals, Brain, Coated Materials, Biocompatible, Elastic Modulus, Electric Impedance, Electrocorticography, Electrodes, Implanted, Equipment Design, Equipment Failure Analysis, Extracellular Matrix Proteins, Male, Materials Testing, Membranes, Artificial, Microarray Analysis, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Stereolithography, Swine, Tensile Strength, µThalys - 340931;info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/FP7/340931, 0903 Biomedical Engineering, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1109 Neurosciences, Biomedical Engineering, 3209 Neurosciences, 4003 Biomedical engineering

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the suitability of a thin sheet of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins as a resorbable coating for temporarily reinforcing fragile or ultra-low stiffness thin-film neural implants to be placed on the brain, i.e. microelectrocorticographic (µECOG) implants. APPROACH: Thin-film polyimide-based electrode arrays were fabricated using lithographic methods. ECM was harvested from porcine tissue by a decellularization method and coated around the arrays. Mechanical tests and an in vivo experiment on rats were conducted, followed by a histological tissue study combined with a statistical equivalence test (confidence interval approach, 0.05 significance level) to compare the test group with an uncoated control group. MAIN RESULTS: After 3 months, no significant damage was found based on GFAP and NeuN staining of the relevant brain areas. SIGNIFICANCE: The study shows that ECM sheets are a suitable temporary coating for thin µECOG neural implants.