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Subchronic Stimulation Performance of Transverse Intrafascicular Multichannel Electrodes in the Median Nerve of the Göttingen Minipig
Author(s) -
Harreby Kristian R.,
Kundu Aritra,
Yoshida Ken,
Boretius Tim,
Stieglitz Thomas,
Jensen Winnie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
artificial organs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.684
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1525-1594
pISSN - 0160-564X
DOI - 10.1111/aor.12347
Subject(s) - forelimb , stimulation , biomedical engineering , anatomy , electrode , medicine , median nerve , electromyography , materials science , anesthesia , chemistry , physical medicine and rehabilitation
This work evaluated the subchronic stimulation performance of an intraneural multichannel electrode (transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrode, TIME ) in a large human‐sized nerve. One or two TIME s were implanted in the right median nerve above the elbow joint in four pigs for a period of 32 to 37 days (six TIME s in total). The ability of the contact sites to recruit five muscles in the forelimb was assessed via their evoked electromyographic responses. Based on these responses, a selectivity index was defined. Four TIME s were able to selectively recruit a subset of muscles throughout the implantation period. The required recruitment current significantly increased, while there was a tendency for the recruitment selectivity to decrease over time. Histological assessment showed that all TIME s remained inside the nerve and that they were located between fascicles. The average thickness of the encapsulation of the electrode was estimated to be 115.4 ± 51.5 μm (mean ± SD ). This study demonstrates the feasibility of keeping the TIME electrodes fixed and functional inside a large polyfascicular human‐sized nerve in a subchronic setting.