Implanted neural stimulation and recording devices hold vast potential to treat a variety of neurological conditions, but the invasiveness, complexity, and cost of the implantation procedure greatly reduce access to an otherwise promising therapeutic approach. To address this need, a novel electrode that begins as an uncured, flowable prepolymer that can be injected around a neuroanatomical target to minimize surgical manipulation is developed. Referred to as the Injectrode, the electrode conforms to target structures forming an electrically conductive interface which is orders of magnitude less stiff than conventional neuromodulation electrodes. To validate the Injectrode, detailed electrochemical and microscopy characterization of its material properties is performed and the feasibility of using it to stimulate the nervous system electrically in rats and swine is validated. The silicone-metal-particle composite performs very similarly to pure wire of the same metal (silver) in all measures, including exhibiting a favorable cathodic charge storage capacity (CSC C ) and charge injection limits compared to the clinical LivaNova stimulation electrode and silver wire electrodes. By virtue of its simplicity, the Injectrode has the potential to be less invasive, more robust, and more cost-effective than traditional electrode designs, which could increase the adoption of neuromodulation therapies for existing and new indications.

AbstractImplanted neural stimulation and recording devices hold vast potential to treat a variety of neurological conditions, but the invasiveness, complexity, and cost of the implantation procedure greatly reduce access to an otherwise promising therapeutic approach. To address this need, we have developed a novel electrode that begins as an uncured, flowable pre-polymer that can be injected around a neuroanatomical target to minimize surgical manipulation. Referred to as the Injectrode, the electrode conforms to target structures forming an electrically conductive interface which is orders of magnitude less stiff than conventional neuromodulation electrodes. To validate the Injectrode, we performed detailed electrochemical and microscopy characterization of its material properties and validated the feasibility of using it to electrically stimulate the nervous system in rats and swine. The silicone-metal-particle composite performed very similarly to pure wire of the same metal (silver) in all measures, including exhibiting a favorable cathodic charge storage capacity (CSCC) and charge injection limits compared to the clinical LivaNova stimulation electrode and silver wire electrodes. By virtue of being simpler than traditional electrode designs, less invasive, and more cost-effective, the Injectrode has the potential to increase the adoption of neuromodulation therapies for existing and new indications.

BackgroundImpaired renal function has been shown in previous studies to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular adverse events amongst patients admitted for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This study investigates the impact of admission serum creatinine (SCr) on major cardiovascular outcomes among STEMI patients undergoing PCI.MethodsA retrospective study of patients admitted for PCI following STEMI was conducted using the National Cardiovascular Database Action Registry (NCDR) at Cleveland Clinic Akron General (CCAG) Hospital. The primary outcome was a composite of major clinical events: cardiogenic shock, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, heart failure, bleeding and mechanical ventilation. SCr was an independent and continuous variable.ResultsA total of 656 patients included in the study with the diagnosis of STEMI who subsequently underwent primary PCI. Patients with eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 on admission had an increased incidence of cardiogenic shock (P = 0.001), bleeding (P < 0.001), heart failure (P < 0.0005) and higher mortality rates (P = 0.0005). Furthermore, in the setting of STEMI, elevated SCr was also associated with an increased risk of developing major adverse events like cardiogenic shock (P = 0.05), bleeding (P = 0.05), and heart failure (P = 0.005).ConclusionsIn the setting of STEMI, elevated SCr and eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was associated with an increased risk of developing major adverse events including cardiogenic shock, bleeding and heart failure.

The morbidity and mortality of adult and pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) populations are mainly driven by cardiovascular disease (CVD). Improving CVD outcomes focuses on risk assessment of factors including diastolic blood pressure (DBP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), pulse pressure (PP), and pulse pressure index (PPi), which is calculated as PP/SBP. These markers are also proven predictors of CKD progression; however, their role in children has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between PP, PPi, ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI), and proteinuria with kidney function in pediatric CKD patients; it is a retrospective analysis of 620 patients (1-16 years) from the NIDDK Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) registry. The authors analyzed data for three separate cohorts: an overall CKD as well as immunological versus non-immunological cause for CKD groups. An inverse relationship was found between SBP, DBP, and PP with iGFR and LVMI in the overall CKD group.Our immunological CKD subgroup showed significantly higher serum creatinine, SBP,