Flexible, stretchable and implantable PDMS encapsulated cable for implantable medical device

Abstract

Purpose Diverse commercial implantable medical devices were developed for the convenience and life-quality of patients, and tether-free diagnostics and therapeutics. Those devices need implantable cable, which connects each part of their devices for transcutaneous energy or signal transfer. For prolonged implantation into human body, it should be safe, robust, and be long-term operable without failure. In this paper, we introduce an implantable PDMS-coated cable. Methods By using PDMS as an encapsulation material, we developed a biocompatible, flexible and durable cable. Several tests were carried out for the evaluation of cable performance. Leakage test confirmed that coating using PDMS was sufficient to prevent the invasion of body fluid to conducting wire. Tensile test, torsion-durability test and bending-durability test demonstrated its mechanical durability and robustness to motion. The resistance variation recorded in the durability test was monitored to verify the electrical stability during movement of cable. Experiments of subcutaneous tissue implantation for 8 weeks were performed to observe the degree of biocompatibility as an implantable cable.Results & conclusions Our cable was mechanically stable and biocompatible enough to be used for long term implantable medical devices.

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Sustained Subconjunctival Delivery of Infliximab Protects the Cornea and Retina Following Alkali Burn to the Eye

“…In short, it is generally accepted that PDMS induces mild host tissue response, but it is safe for long-term implantation. 31–35 …”

Numerical simulation of capillary deformation of a body implantable device

“…(11) along with Eqs. (12) and (13) via an iterative manner, the displacement u and the pressure p are finally obtained when the convergence reaches the condition such as ∆U = U (n+1) − U (n) ≤ ε, where n is the iterative index and ε is the threshold for the convergence of the numerical solution. Once discretization is performed, the cube is divided into finite elements.…”

“…Research on long term embedded devices is also available: a sound review of the biocompatibility of implantable devices [9], tissue responses to chronically-implanted microelectrode arrays for neural interface [10], a power supply for implantable electrode devices working [11], flexible implantable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to be biocompatible and resistant to a body fluid [12], the use of copolymers to be additives for biodegradable polymer stents [13], penetration of neural tissues with MEMS-based microelectrode [14], cellular miropatterns to cell-based biosensors [15], flexible neural and cardiac electrode arrays [16], formation of vascular networks within functional cardiac tissue construct [17], functionally graded implant [18], glucose monitoring device [19] and response of brain tissue to chronically implanted neural electrodes [20] are also drawing good attention.…”