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.
The objective of this study was to determine the impact of burn wound dressings on Laser Doppler imaging assessment of a cutaneous injury model. A healthy volunteer was subjected to a standardized mechanical stimulus to produce a triple response. This was scanned under ideal conditions using the moor LDI2 before and after application of the following dressings: GLAD Wrap , Bactigras, Hypafix, Omiderm, DuoDERM, Acticoat, and Avance. The triple response was readily and consistently detected on the LDI blood flow image. Glad Wrap, Bactigras, Hypafix, Omiderm, and DuoDERM all had minimal adverse impact on the Laser Doppler blood flow image. Acticoat and Avance prevented detection of the triple response. In addition, there was a false-positive blood flow image with the Acticoat dressing positioned with the silver colored surface uppermost. Dressings transparent to the near infrared spectrum allowed detection of a standardized cutaneous injury model under ideal conditions. Laser Doppler imaging might therefore be used to assess a burn wound without removal of such a dressing. This would have implications for the selection and use of dressings in the treatment of burn patients, especially in an ambulatory care setting.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.