title: Biocompatibility of platinum-metallized silicone rubber: in vivo and in vitro evaluation.
abstract: Silicone rubber is commonly used for biomedical applications, including implanted cuff electrodes for both recording and stimulation of peripheral nerves. This study was undertaken to evaluate the consequences of a new platinum metallization method on the biocompatibility of silicone rubber cuff electrodes. This method was introduced in order to allow the manufacture of spiral nerve cuff electrodes with a large number of contacts. The metallization process, implying silicone coating with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), its activation by an excimer laser and subsequent electroless metal deposition, led to a new surface microtexture. The neutral red cytotoxicity assay procedure was first applied in vitro on BALB/c 3T3 fibroblasts in order to analyze the cellular response elicited by the studied material. An in vivo assay was then performed to investigate the tissue reaction after chronic subcutaneous implantation of the metallized material. Results demonstrate that silicone rubber biocompatibility is not altered by the new platinum metallization method.
authors.affiliation: Neural Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory, Université catholique de Louvain, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Avenue Hippocrate 54, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vince
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thil
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veraart
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Colin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delbeke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041702:BALB 3T3 Cells; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009499:Neutral Red / Q000737:chemistry; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry*; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D009499:Neutral Red; D010984:Platinum; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate