The main objective of this study was to investigate the combined effect of ultrasonication of natural waters and anodization of titanium on microbial density and biofilm formation tendency on titanium surfaces. Application of 24 kHz, 400 W high power ultrasound through a 14 mm horn type SS (stainless steel) Sonicator with medium amplitude of 60% for 30 min brought about three order decrease in total bacterial density of laboratory tap water, cooling tower water and reservoir water and two order decrease in seawater. Studies on the effect of ultrasonication on dilute pure cultures of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria showed five order and three order decrease for Pseudomonas sp. and Flavobacterium sp. respectively and two order and less than one order decrease for Bacillus sp. and Micrococcus sp. respectively. Ultrasonication increased lag phase and reduced logarithmic population increase and specific growth rate of Gram-negative bacteria whereas for Gram-positive bacteria specific growth rate increased. Studies on the biofilm formation tendency of these ultrasonicated mediums on titanium surface showed one order reduction under all conditions. Detailed biofilm imaging by advanced microscopic techniques like AFM, SEM and epifluorescence microscopy clearly visualized the lysed/damaged cells and membrane perforations due to ultrasonication. Combination of ultrasonication and anodization brought about maximum decrease in bacterial density and biofilm formation with greater than two order decrease in seawater, two order decrease in Bacillus sp. culture and more than four order decrease in Flavobacterium sp. culture establishing the synergistic effect of anodization and ultrasonication in this study.

A novel, needle array dry electrode consisting of 10 × 10 array of stainless steel (SS) Microtips was developed for electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring. The developed dry electrode uses commercially available, inexpensive, SS acupuncture needles certified for invasive use, to collect the EEG signal. The microtips of the acupuncture needles project out of a flat Teflon base by approximately 150 μm. Mechanical failure analysis was carried out, with theoretical calculations for individual needles and experimental measurements with a universal testing machine (UTM). The theoretically calculated critical load for failure for individual needle was 0.88 N, while the UTM measurements show the failure occurring at 0.95 N; this difference is probably due to the simplified assumptions used in calculations. The UTM measurements of the individual needle applied against a Silicone elastomer reveal that the force required for the penetration of the needle of the electrode into skin maybe as low as 0.01 N. Needle array insertion into silicone elastomer sheet and its optical inspection was carried out to assess the ability of the microneedles to penetrate the skin. The impedance of the electrode, measured in three electrode configuration in 0.9% NaCl solution, was approximately 6.8KΩ at 20 Hz, which is sufficiently low to fulfill the requirements of biopotential measurement. The construction and characteristics of the developed needle array dry electrode show that they are suitable for penetrating the stratum corneum of the skin and acquire the EEG signal directly from the interstitial fluidic layer underneath. The construction of the electrode and its mechanical and electrical characteristics show that it is a promising dry electrode for long duration EEG Monitoring.

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