Decellular biological scaffold polymerized with PEDOT for improving peripheral nerve interface charge transfer

Regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNIs) are for signal transfer between peripheral nerves inside the body to controllers for motorized prosthetics external to the body. Within the residual limb of an amputee, surgical construction of a RPNI connects a remaining peripheral nerve and spare muscle. Nerve signals become concentrated within the RPNI. Currently metal electrodes implanted on the RPNI muscle transfer signals but scarring around metal electrodes progressively diminishes charge transfer. Engineered materials may benefit RPNI signal transfer across the neural interface if they lower the power and charge density of the biologically meaningful signals. Poly3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) is known to mediate ionic potentials allowing excitation across a critical nerve gap. We hypothesize that the capacity of an interface material to conduct electron mediated current is significantly increased by polymerized coating of PEDOT. SIS was either used plain or after PEDOT coating by electrochemical polymerization. Muscle forces are a direct representation of stimulating current distribution within an RPNI. In situ muscle forces were measured for the same muscle by electrically stimulating: a) the muscle's innervating nerve, b) directly on the muscle, c) on plain SIS laid on the muscle, and d) on SIS polymerized with PEDOT laid on the muscle. Electro-chemically coating PEDOT on SIS resulted in a thin, flexible material. PEDOT coated SIS distributed electrical stimulation more efficiently than SIS alone. Conductive polymer containing biological material allowed ionic signal distribution within the RPNI like muscle at lower charge density.