Sustainability inspired fabrication of next generation neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management electrodes via reactive hierarchical surface restructuring.
Shahram AminiHongbin ChoiWesley SecheAlexander BlagojevicNicholas MayBenjamin M LeflerSkyler L DavisSahar ElyahoodayanPouya TavousiSteven J MayGregory A CaputoTerry C LoweJeffrey HettingerSina ShahbazmohamadiPublished in: Microsystems & nanoengineering (2024)
Over the last two decades, platinum group metals (PGMs) and their alloys have dominated as the materials of choice for electrodes in long-term implantable neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management devices due to their superior conductivity, mechanical and chemical stability, biocompatibility, corrosion resistance, radiopacity, and electrochemical performance. Despite these benefits, PGM manufacturing processes are extremely costly, complex, and challenging with potential health hazards. Additionally, the volatility in PGM prices and their high supply risk, combined with their scarce concentration of approximately 0.01 ppm in the earth's upper crust and limited mining geographical areas, underscores their classification as critical raw materials, thus, their effective recovery or substitution worldwide is of paramount importance. Since postmortem recovery from deceased patients and/or refining of PGMs that are used in the manufacturing of the electrodes and microelectrode arrays is extremely rare, challenging, and highly costly, therefore, substitution of PGM-based electrodes with other biocompatible materials that can yield electrochemical performance values equal or greater than PGMs is the only viable and sustainable solution to reduce and ultimately substitute the use of PGMs in long-term implantable neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management devices. In this article, we demonstrate for the first time how the novel technique of "reactive hierarchical surface restructuring" can be utilized on titanium-that is widely used in many non-stimulation medical device and implant applications-to manufacture biocompatible, low-cost, sustainable, and high-performing neurostimulation and cardiac rhythm management electrodes. We have shown how the surface of titanium electrodes with extremely poor electrochemical performance undergoes compositional and topographical transformations that result in electrodes with outstanding electrochemical performance.
Keyphrases
- reduced graphene oxide
- gold nanoparticles
- ionic liquid
- solid state
- carbon nanotubes
- atrial fibrillation
- low cost
- left ventricular
- heart rate
- healthcare
- public health
- end stage renal disease
- mental health
- molecularly imprinted
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- label free
- heart failure
- machine learning
- peritoneal dialysis
- deep brain stimulation
- patient reported outcomes
- blood pressure
- health risk
- prognostic factors
- health information
- drug release
- heavy metals