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Carbon Nanotube Based Electrodes for Neuroprosthetic Applications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Thomas S. Phely-Bobin ,
Thomas Tiano ,
Brian Farrell ,
Radek Fooksa ,
Lois Robblee ,
David J Edell  and
Richard Czerw
Thomas S. Phely-Bobin
Affiliation:
tphely-bobin@foster-miller.com, Foster-Miller Inc., Materials Technology Group, 195 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, MA, 02541, United States, 781-684-4022, 781-684-4600
Thomas Tiano
Affiliation:
ttiano@foster-miller.com, Foster-Miller Inc., Materials Technology Group, 195 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, MA, 02541, United States
Brian Farrell
Affiliation:
bfarrell@foster-miller.com, Foster-Miller Inc., Materials Technology Group, 195 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, MA, 02541, United States
Radek Fooksa
Affiliation:
rfooksa@foster-miller.com, Foster-Miller Inc., Materials Technology Group, 195 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, MA, 02541, United States
Lois Robblee
Affiliation:
lsrob408@verizon.net, LSR Consulting, Peabody, MA, 01960, United States
David J Edell
Affiliation:
djedell@innersea.com, InnerSea Technology, Bedford, MA, 01730, United States
Richard Czerw
Affiliation:
czerw@nanotechlabs.biz, NanoTechLabs Inc., Yadkinville, NC, 27055, United States
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Abstract

Foster-Miller, Inc., in conjunction with InnerSea Technology, NanoTechLabs and Dr. Lois Robblee, has demonstrated a simple, low cost process for the fabrication of high capacitance, low impedance, and high surface area carbon nanotube (CNT) electrodes for use as implantable microelectrodes. Implantable microelectrodes for electrical stimulation of neurons and recording neuronal responses are essential tools for neurophysiologists studying the behavior of neurons in the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve. Critical properties of an electrode interface should include: low noise, low impedance, biocompatibility, electrical stability during chronic use, and high charge capacity. Iridium oxide has all of these properties and thus has been utilized for significant developments in the neural prostheses area. However, these electrodes have several shortcomings, including: high material cost, labor-intensive processing, and deterioration of long term stability.

The results of electrochemical testing of the CNT electrodes show high capacitance and low impedance. Preliminary testing indicates that the CNT felt electrodes have advantages over state of the art iridium oxide electrodes in that their highest charge capacity is distributed within the cathodic portion of the water window, exactly where iridium oxide charge capacity is lowest. When the integration of the cathodic part of a CV is done in the potential window from 0.3 V (open circuit) to −0.7 V, at which the electrode will be used, we obtain a value of 38 μc-cm−2. Similar integration for an iridium oxide electrode gives a value of 15 mC cm−2. The high charge capacity of the CNT felt electrode over the cathodic potential range below 0.0 V is advantageous for electrical stimulation with cathodal current pulses. This is a feature lacking in Iridium oxide electrodes for which most of the charge capacity is accessed over anodic potentials above 0.0 V. In order for Iridium oxide electrodes to utilize their charge capacity during cathodal pulses, it is necessary to apply an anodic bias to the stimulation electrode between stimulus pulses. This leads to increased complexity of stimulation circuitry and the possibility of the intermittent occurrence of low dc current, both of which will be avoided with the CNT felt electrodes.

Keywords

coatingnanoscalebiomedical
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 926: Symposium CC – Electrobiological Interfaces on Soft Substrates , 2006 , 0926-CC04-01
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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