Is there a better way to create organic bioelectronics?
New fabrication technique allows more control over electrical properties
With increasing scientific and medical interest in communication with the nervous system, demand is growing for biomedical devices that can better record and stimulate the nervous system, as well as deliver drugs and biomolecules in precise dosages.
Researchers with the University of Houston and Pennsylvania State University have reported a new fabrication technique for biocompatible neural devices that allow more precise tuning of the electrical performance of neural probes, along with improved properties for drug delivery.
"For years, scientists have been trying to interact with the nervous system, to diagnose Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors and other neural disorders and diseases earlier," said Mohammad Reza Abidian, associate professor of biomedical engineering at UH and lead author of a paper describing the fabrication technique in the journal Advanced Materials. "In our laboratory we create micro- and nano-devices to communicate with neurons."
Abidian said the new fabrication method allows researchers to precisely control the surface morphology of conducting polymer microcups, improving performance. They used electrojetting and electrodeposition methods for fabricating conducting polymer microcups on the surface of bioelectronics.
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