Medical Design Briefs - April 2022 - 48

one day, after their implants were activated, "
says Courtine. " That's thanks to
the specific stimulation programs we
wrote for each type of activity. Patients
can select the desired activity on the
tablet, and the corresponding protocols
are relayed to the pacemaker in the
abdomen. "
While the progress achievable in a single
day is astonishing, the gains after several
months are even more impressive.
The three patients followed a training
regimen based on the stimulation programs
and were able to regain muscle
mass, move around more independently,
and take part in social activities like
having a drink standing at a bar. What's
more, because the technology is miniaturized,
the patients can perform their
training exercises outdoors and not only
inside a lab.
" This study further demonstrates the
benefits of our approach, " says Cour -
tine. " We're now working with Onward
Medical, which recently listed on
Euronext, to turn our discoveries into
genuine treatments that can improve
the lives of thousands of people around
the world. "
Investigational implantable stimulators
and paddle leads were donated by
Medtronic and Onward Medical. This
work was supported by Wings for Life, the
Defitech Foundation, the International
Foundation for Research in Paraplegia,
Rolex for Enterprise, Carigest Promex,
Riders4Riders, ALARME, the Panacée
Foundation, the Pictet Group Charitable
Foundation, the Firmenich Foundation,
Onward Medical, European Union's
Horizon 2020 (785907 Human Brain
Project SGA2, 842578 and 665667),
RESTORE: Eurostars E10889, OPTI -
STIM: Eurostars E!12743, the Swiss
National Science Foundation (NCCR
Robotics), the European Research
Council (ERC-2015-CoG HOW2WALKAGAIN
682999), Eurostars grant E10889,
the Commission of Technology and
Innovation Innosuisse (CTI 41871.1
IP_LS and CTI 25761.1), and the H2020MSCACOFUND-2015
EPFL fellows program
(grant 665667 to F.B.W.).
Reference
1. Activity-dependent spinal cord neuromodulation
rapidly restores trunk and leg
motor functions after complete paralysis,
Nature Medicine, February 7 2022, DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-02101663-5
For
more information, visit https://actu.
epfl.ch. A video of the technology is available
at https://youtu.be/4wUADfnCMdc.
Researchers Develop Ultrathin Films for Stretchable and
Sturdy Bioelectronic Membranes
The highly adaptable
materials could lead to
new classes of wearable
devices.
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
Researchers have developed a unique
design of ultrathin films for highly flexible
yet mechanically robust bioelectronic
membranes that could pave the way
for diagnostic on-skin sensors that fit
precisely over the body's contours and
conform to its movements.
Science recently published a paper
describing the research co-led by
Xiangfeng Duan, professor of chemistry
and biochemistry; and Yu Huang, professor
and chair of the materials science
and engineering department at the
UCLA Samueli School of Engineering.
Held together by van der Waals forces,
intermolecular interactions that can
only take place at extremely close distances
between atoms or molecules, the
membrane is stretchable and adaptable
to dynamically changing biological substrates,
while being breathable and permeable
to water and air. The advancement
of the durable electronic material
48
Cov
The layered patchwork design of van der Waals thin films enables the membrane to stretch and flex
over irregular geometries. (Credit: Yan et al./UCLA)
could lead to the development of noninvasive
electronics for medicine, health
care, biology, agriculture, and horticulture.
The researchers named the material
van der Waals thin film, or VDWTF,
which could serve as a foundational platform
for living organisms to adopt electronic
capabilities.
" Conceptually, the membrane is like a
much-thinner version of kitchen cling
film, with excellent semiconducting
electronic functionality and unusual
www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
ToC
stretchability that naturally adapts to soft
biological tissues with highly conformal
interfaces, " Duan says. " It could open up
a diverse range of powerful sensing and
signaling applications. For example,
wearable health-monitoring devices
built with this material can accurately
track electrophysiological signals at the
organism level or down to the level of
individual cells. "
The researchers created several
demonstrations using the thin films,
Medical Design Briefs, April 2022

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-021-01663-5 https://actu.epfl.ch https://youtu.be/4wUADfnCMdc http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com

Medical Design Briefs - April 2022

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