The National Science Foundation has granted a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant worth $475,000 over a period of five years to Wayne State University’s Mark Ming-Cheng Cheng to develop a long-term, ultra-performance implantable electrode system using graphene.
Cheng believes that the flexible carbon material, graphene is ideal for long-term implantation when compared to iridium and platinum oxide that are used for the fabrication of implantable electrodes. The electrical charge of the electrodes made from iridium and platinum oxide reduces with their size, thus restricting their capability to activate neural connections, he said. The electrode signals transmitted to the devices that read neural activity frequently record more noise due to high levels of impedance of the materials, he added.
Cheng further said that the novel material allows fabrication of smaller electrodes with more electrical charge. Higher conductivity and smaller footprints decrease the impedance levels of electrodes, allowing better recordings of neural activity, he added.
A major problem in the usage of graphene electrode is its difficulty to place it into tissue due to its flexibility. In order to tackle this problem, Cheng plans to utilize a porous silicone backbone that discharges anti-inflammatory medication, while carefully and gradually biodegrading into brain tissue to restrict the generation of scar tissue.
Cheng commented that a five-year operating life of the graphene electrode would result in numerous prospective applications in fields including security, biosensors, bioelectronics, drug delivery and neuroscience. The technology would benefit over 200,000 patients suffering from partial and full paralysis in the US alone, he added.
Source: http://www.research.wayne.edu