Project: Adaptive Carbon Interfaces for Novel Neuroprosthetics and Implants
Novel materials employing cross-disciplinary nanotechnology principles are expected to lead to important innovation in the field of medicine, targeting the future needs of health-care industries. ACIN focuses on the development of materials formimplantable devices for electrical neuron stimulation therapy, that has important applications for treatment of drug resistant neuropathologies. ACIN proposal aims at fabrication of devices where the artificial interface mimics the bio/physico/chemical properties that living cell and tissues experience in vivo (i.e. neural cell rearrangements). To reach these aims, we will employ carbon-based materials such as carbon nanotubes and PE CVD diamond films that exhibit excellent in-vivo stability and biocompatibility and allow for novel active and adaptive type of cell-device interfaces to be developed. The studied materials will be integrated with leading microelectronic technology platform allowing construction of microelectronics arrays (MEAs). These novel types of MEAs, referring in particular to (nano)technological devices, will be able to replace and repair (dys)functions of the central nervous system. The potential for innovation and economical benefit is represented by our ultimate goal in prototyping for long-lasting restoration of particular neurological functions studied (by deep brain stimulation -DBS, retinal and cochlear implants) in experimental animal models. The commercial impact upon translation of such prototypes to clinical applications is expected to be significant.
| Acronym | ACIN (Reference Number: BBM-1955) |
| Project Topic | Bio-based and bio-inspired materials |
| Network | MATERA+ |
| Call | Matera+ Call |
Project partner
| Number | Name | Role | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM VZW | Coordinator | Belgium |
| 2 | Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Partner | Switzerland |
| 3 | Aleva Neurotherapeutics SA | Partner | Switzerland |
| 4 | University of Antwerp | Partner | Belgium |
| 5 | Technion - Israel Institute of Technology | Partner | Israel |
| 6 | Second Sight ® Medical Products, sàrl. Switzerland | Partner | Switzerland |