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Totally Organic Hydrogel‐Based Self‐Closing Cuff Electrode for Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 23/2022)

An intrinsically soft organic electrode consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-modified polyurethane (PEDOT-PU) was embedded into a bilayer film of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels for developing a self-closing cuff electrode for neuromodulation. The curled form of the PVA hydrogel was prepared by releasing internal stress in the bilayer structure. The inner diameter of the cuff electrode was set to less than 2 mm for immobilization to the vagus nerve (VN) of human and pig. The stability of the immobilization was examined, while the pressure applied to a nerve bundle was at a harmless level (∼200 Pa). Since the electrode is totally organic, MRI measurements could be conducted without image artifacts. The large electric capacitance of the PEDOT-PU (∼27 mF cm-2 ) ensures a safe stimulation of living tissues without Faradaic reactions. The practical performance of the cuff electrode for VN stimulation was demonstrated by observation of bradycardia induction in a pig. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.