Semiconducting metal oxide-based gas sensors have inadequate selectivity as they are responsive toward a variety of gases. Here, we report the implementation of gas sensing kinetic analysis of the sensor to identify the tested volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (2-propanol, formaldehyde, methanol, and toluene) precisely. A single chemiresistive sensor was employed having tin oxide-based hollow spheres as the sensing material, which were obtained by chemical synthesis. The gas sensing measurements were conducted in a dynamic manner where the sensor displayed excellent response with high sensitivity. Eley–Rideal model was adopted to obtain the kinetic properties of the gas sensing phenomenon through theoretical fitting of response transient curves and their corresponding kinetic parameters. The calculated characteristic kinetic properties were further examined to discriminate among different VOCs. The approach of using gas sensing kinetic analysis for multiple gas discrimination is an attractive solution to mitigate the problem of cross-sensitivity for resistive gas sensors.

Neuromodulation of peripheral nerves with bioelectronic devices is a promising approach for treating a wide range of disorders. Wireless powering could enable long-term operation of these devices, but achieving high performance for miniaturized and deeply placed devices remains a technological challenge. We report the miniaturized integration of a wireless powering system in soft neuromodulation device (15 mm length, 2.7 mm diameter) and demonstrate high performance (about 10%) during in vivo wireless stimulation of the vagus nerve in a porcine animal model. The increased performance is enabled by the generation of a focused and circularly polarized field that enhances efficiency and provides immunity to polarization misalignment. These performance characteristics establish the clinical potential of wireless powering for emerging therapies based on neuromodulation.

Myelination is governed by neuron-glia communication, which in turn is modulated by neural activity. The exact mechanisms remain elusive. We developed a novel in vitro optogenetic stimulation platform that facilitates subcellular activity induction in hundreds of neurons simultaneously. The light isolation was achieved by creating a biocompatible, light-absorbent, black microfluidic device integrated with a programmable, high-power LED array. The system was applied to a compartmentalized culture of primary neurons whose distal axons were interacting with oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Neural activity was induced along whole neurons or was constrained to cell bodies with proximal axons or distal axons only. All three modes of stimulation promoted oligodendrocyte differentiation and the myelination of axons as evidenced by a decrease in the number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells followed by increases in the number of mature oligodendrocytes and myelin sheath fragments. These results demonstrated the potential of our novel optogenetic stimulation system for the global and focal induction of neural activity in vitro for studying axon myelination.

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Neural stimulation using injected electrical charge is widely used both in functional therapies and as an experimental tool for neuroscience applications. Electrical pulses can induce excitation of targeted neural pathways that aid in the treatment of neural disorders or dysfunction of the central and peripheral nervous system. In this review, we summarize the recent trends in the field of electrical stimulation for therapeutic interventions of nervous system disorders, such as for the restoration of brain, eye, ear, spinal cord, nerve and muscle function. Neural prosthetic applications are discussed, and functional electrical stimulation parameters for treating such disorders are reviewed. Important considerations for implantable packaging and enhancing device reliability are also discussed. Neural stimulators are expected to play a profound role in implantable neural devices that treat disorders and help restore functions in injured or disabled nervous system.