Microscale Characterization of a Mechanically Adaptive Polymer Nanocomposite With Cotton-Derived Cellulose Nanocrystals for Implantable BioMEMS

作者：Hess Dunning Allison E^*; Tyler Dustin J; Harris James P; Capadona Jeffrey R; Weder Christoph; Rowan Stuart J; Zorman Christian A

来源：Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2014, 23(4): 774-784.

DOI：10.1109/JMEMS.2014.2327035

• Implantable biomedical devices
• materials testing
• nanocomposites
• neural microtechnology
• neural prosthesis
• polymer films

A mechanically adaptive polymer nanocomposite for use as a structural material for microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based penetrating implantable biosensors, particularly for the brain, is presented as a solution to the limited clinical implementation of such sensors. Micromechanical testing of MEMS-scale test structures was used to determine the Young%26apos;s moduli of the polymer nanocomposite in both its dry rigid state (E = 2414 MPa) and its wet compliant state (E = 4.9 MPa), as well as the rate of mechanical switching upon immersion in an aqueous solution. The softening of the composite materials after implantation in the cortex of a Sprague-Dawley rat was studied by ex vivo environmentally controlled microtensile testing. A microfabrication process for producing metallized neural probes for recording of electrical signals was also developed. The results support the mechanically adaptive nanocomposite as a viable option for MEMS-based penetrating implantable biosensors. [2013-0376]

• 出版日期2014-8