Bioresorbable Insertion Aids for Brain Implantable Flexible Probes: A Comparative Study on Silk Fibroin, Alginate, and Disaccharides

Miniaturized, flexible, and biocompatible neural probes have the potential to circumvent brain's foreign body response, but problem of surgical implantation remains. Herein, a probe intended for in rat hippocampus is coated four bioresorbable stiffeners determine which most effective aiding insertion. The (sucrose, maltose, silk fibroin, alginate) are evaluated through mechanical, chemical, dissolution tests. After coating with buckling force increases from 0.31 75.99 mN. This goes accordance subsequent successful insertion Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results demonstrate increase β-sheet content fibroin samples after treatment (e.g., water annealing) show relevant changes due dehydration alginate hydrogel. Both qualitative quantitative studies artificial cerebrospinal fluid illustrate that outlasts disaccharide stiffeners. In this work, variety multidisciplinary analyses carried out find best stiffener deep brain implantable devices highest force, longest time, tunable structure. For first an hydrogel used as aid insertion, expanding its usefulness beyond tissue engineering.