Flexible Regenerative Nanoelectronics for Advanced Peripheral Neural Interfaces
Abstract
The loss of the use of the limbs in patients with injury, amputation, or neurodegenerative disease is an incredibly debilitating and incurable condition that is poorly addressed by current treatments or technologies. The objective of this project is to create stable, regenerative nanoelectrodes that can interface with the nerves in the body to allow the long-term restoration of neuromotor function in patients with limb loss or damaged nerves. Current technologies for neural interface are not stable during long-term implantation and do not allow the stimulation of the individual nerve bundle within the nerves. Stimulation of only some of the never fibers with the nerves would allow patients to perform complex motions rather than simple binary muscle contraction. Our approach leverages two newly developed technologies: (1) flexible mesh array electrodes that match the mechanical properties of the nerves and can provide spatially local stimulation to the nerve fibers and (2) patternable regenerative scaffolds that induce the ingrowth of nerve fibers and vasculature to support long-term integration with the nervous system. Stable, effective neural interfaces would have host of applications in rehabilitation medicine in both civilian and military settings. The ability to specifically stimulate nerves that have been injury or compromised by disease would be beneficial for allow the neural control of prosthetics for patients with limb loss, allow the control of limbs in patients with nerve injury or stroke, and may ultimately be useful in restoring neuromotor function in patients with spinal cord injury. Our first application of this technology in the clinic will be interfaces with peripheral nerves in patients with upper limb loss for the control of advanced prosthetics. As these patients have nerves that are disrupted, this minimizes the risk for the patient for using our technology and can potentially allow them greater independence by allowing them to actuate a prosthetic arm/hand. There are approximately 400,000 patients living with upper limb loss in the United States, with 60% of these between the ages of 21 and 64 years old. The current proposal will develop this technology and test it in small animal models (3 years). Following the completion of these studies, preclinical studies in large animals over the long term are needed to justify a clinical trial (2 years). We therefore estimate that a first-in-man trial for patients with limb loss could be performed using our technology in about 5 years. If successful, we believe our technology could rapidly be applied to other larger patient populations including those with living with stroke (~700,000 patients/year), peripheral nerve injury (~3% of all trauma patients), and spinal cord injury (~330,000 patients in the United States). The technology developed in this proposal has immense potential benefits for injured military Service members and Veterans. While the loss of lower limbs has been of immediate concern in the civilian population due to the epidemic of diabetes and obesity, rehabilitation needs of injured Service members from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have made upper limb amputation a topic of immediate concern. In addition, stroke is the most common cause of debilitation in the United States, and technologies to improve rehabilitation following stroke would benefit the aging Veteran population and their families. Thus, the creation of stable neurovascular interfaces would have an immense and powerful impact on a broad range of emerging neural interface and regenerative technologies used in civilian and defense applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610580
Entities
People
- Aaron B Baker
Organizations
- United States Army
- University of Texas at Austin