#Kip #Ludwig #Discusses #Injectrode #Material #Research #Society
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Stimulation of the peripheral nervous system through implanted devices, often referred to as bioelectronic medicines, electroceuticals, or neuromodulation therapies, is increasingly being used to treat a variety of diverse conditions including FDA approvals for pain, overactive bladder, obesity, sleep apnea, migraine, essential tremor, and hypertension. Unfortunately, the availability of neuromodulation therapies is usually limited to patients that have failed conventional treatments. This is largely due to the need for invasive implantation procedures and resulting surgical risk. we have developed a minimally invasive method for stimulating the peripheral nervous system through a syringe-injectable electrode which is delivered as a pre-polymer composite material and cures in vivo, with the goals of reducing surgical risk, increasing the availability of neuromodulation therapies, and enabling the development of novel therapeutic strategies,. This electrode, referred to as the Injectrode, can conform to complex target structures and is orders of magnitude less stiff compared to conventional neural stimulation electrodes.

This talk covers our work developing the Injectrode, validating the material properties of the Injectrode, and our ongoing progress towards non-invasively interfacing with the Injectrode through a transcutaneous interface. This will include microscopic and electrochemical testing to assess the material properties most relevant to electrical stimulation of the nervous system mimicking FDA pre-clinical test requirements, as well as a comparison to clinical vagus nerve stimulation electrode. Dr. Ludwig will present a finite element model of the transcutaneous Injectrode concept, validated in a swine cadaver model, to investigate a method for non-invasively coupling to the Injectrode without use of an implantable pulse generator. Lastly, Dr. Ludwig will present feasibility studies in rats a swine showing stimulation of complex peripheral nerve anatomy, comparisons to a clinical nerve cuff electrode, and in vivo non-invasive coupling to the Injectrode. The ability to deliver the Injectrode through a minimally invasive procedure – as well as non-invasively couple to it without the need for an implantable pulse generator – will lead to reduced surgical risk and the potential for fewer failure points. As such, this technology fits an unmet need for less invasive stimulation systems and could lead to novel and more widely applicable neuromodulation therapies.
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