Bioadhesive Graft-Antenna for Stimulation and Repair of Peripheral Nerves

Ashour Sliow; Zhi Ma; Gaetano Gargiulo; David Mahns; Damia Mawad; Paul Breen; Marcus Stoodley; Jessica Houang; Rhiannon Kuchel; Giuseppe Tettamanzi; Richard D Tilley; Samuel J Frost; John Morley; Leonardo Longo; Antonio Lauto

arXiv · 1807.02788

Bioadhesive Graft-Antenna for Stimulation and Repair of Peripheral Nerves

Ashour Sliow·Zhi Ma·Gaetano Gargiulo·David Mahns·Damia Mawad·Paul Breen·Marcus Stoodley·Jessica Houang·Rhiannon Kuchel·Giuseppe Tettamanzi·Richard D Tilley·Samuel J Frost·John Morley·Leonardo Longo·Antonio Lauto

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Abstract

Peripheral nerve injuries are difficult to treat due to limited axon regeneration; brief electrical stimulation of injured nerves is an emerging therapy that can relieve pain and enhance regeneration. We report an original wireless stimulator based on a metal loop (diameter ~1 mm) that is powered by a transcranial magnetic stimulator (TMS). The loop can be integrated in a chitosan scaffold that functions as a graft when applied onto transected nerves (graft-antenna). The graft-antenna was bonded to rat sciatic nerves by a laser without sutures; it did not migrate after implantation and was able to trigger steady compound muscle action potentials for 12 weeks (CMAP ~1.3 mV). Eight weeks post-operatively, axon regeneration was facilitated in transected nerves that were repaired with the graft-antenna and stimulated by the TMS for 1 hour/week. The graft-antenna is an innovative and minimally-invasive device that functions concurrently as a wireless stimulator and adhesive scaffold for nerve repair.

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Ashour Sliow, Zhi Ma, Gaetano Gargiulo, David Mahns, Damia Mawad, Paul Breen, Marcus Stoodley, Jessica Houang, Rhiannon Kuchel, Giuseppe Tettamanzi, Richard D Tilley, Samuel J Frost, John Morley, Leonardo Longo, Antonio Lauto. 2018-07-08. Bioadhesive Graft-Antenna for Stimulation and Repair of Peripheral Nerves. https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.02788

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