Title: Increasing contact area of microelectrodes in implantable microchannel array system for peripheral nerve regenerative using metal deposited nanospheres

Authors: Raghied Mohammed Atta

Addresses: Electrical Engineering Dept., Engineering College, Taiba University, KSA

Abstract: Electromechanical guidance of neuron outgrowth is an essential route to promote nerve regeneration. The design and fabrication process of a three dimension (3D) device made as a bundle of parallel micro-channels, which can be used as a 3D regenerative implant for peripheral nerve repair, is now under investigation. The device is entirely made of highly compliant polyimide films. Metallic electrodes are embedded in the polyimide films and are opened within individual micro-channels for electro-physiology recording. The electrical impedance of the microelectrodes is considered quite high as the surface area of the opening recording site is too small. In order to increase the total surface area of the opening windows, metal nanospheres were deposited and used as a hard mask for further etching to increase the windows surfaces. Therefore, the total surface area was increased by a factor of at least 1.5 to 100 hence, the total resistance was decreased by the same value.

Keywords: nerve regeneration; nerve guidance; nanospheres; nanolithography; electrodes; microelectrodes; implantable microchannel array; metal deposition; regenerative implants; peripheral nerve repair; polyimide films; nanomaterials; nanotechnology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2009.027727

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2/3/4/5, pp.313 - 321

Published online: 08 Aug 2009 *

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