Medical Design Briefs - August 2021 - 55

paper's other senior author. " This could
help bring this life-changing treatment
option to many more people. "
" In order to end up with something
that can be implanted with a needle, we
needed to make the device as thin as
possible, " says co-first author Ben
Woodington, also from the department
of engineering.
The researchers used a combination
of manufacturing techniques to build
their device: flexible electronics used in
the semiconductor industry; tiny micro -
fluidic channels used in drug delivery;
and shape-changing materials used in
soft robotics.
Their finished device is just 60 µm
thick - thin enough that it can be
rolled up and placed in a needle for
implantation. However, after implantation,
the device expands out to cover a
wide area of the spinal cord, thanks to
the microfluidic channels.
" Thin-film electronics aren't new but
incorporating fluid chambers is what
makes our device unique - this allows it
to be inflated into a paddle-type shape
once it is inside the patient, " says Proctor.
" Our earlier versions were actually so
thin that they were invisible to x-rays,
which the surgeon would need to use to
confirm they're in the right place before
inflating the device, " says Woodington.
" We added some bismuth particles to
make it visible without increasing the
thickness too much. Designing a device
is one thing but putting it into surgical
use is quite another. "
The researchers validated their
device in vitro and on a human cadaver
model. They are currently working with
a manufacturing partner to further
develop and scale up their device and
are hoping to begin tests in patients
within two to three years.
" The way we make the device means
that we can also incorporate additional
components - we could add more electrodes
or make it bigger in order to
cover larger areas of the spine with
increased accuracy, " says Barone.
" This adaptability could make our SCS
device a potential treatment for paralysis
following spinal cord injury or stroke or
movement disorders such as Parkinson's
disease. An effective device that doesn't
require invasive surgery could bring
relief to so many people. "
" This technology has the potential to
transform clinical treatment, significantly
improve pain management for so many
people, and reach patients who cannot be
treated with existing devices, " says Dr.
Rachel Atfield, commercialization manager
at Cambridge Enterprise, the University's
commercialization company, which has
patented the device.
The research was supported in part by
the Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research Council, the Borysiewicz
Biomedical Science Fellowship, the
Medical Research Council, Health
Education England, and the National
Institute for Health Research.
Reference
1. Ben J. Woodington et al., " Electronics
with Shape Actuation for Minimally
Invasive Spinal Cord Stimulation. " Science
Advances (2021). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.
abg7833.
This article was written by Sarah Collins,
University of Cambridge. For more information,
visit https://www.cam.ac.uk.
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Medical Design Briefs - August 2021

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