title: Functional regeneration of a severed peripheral nerve with a 7-mm gap in rats through the use of an implantable electrical stimulator and a conduit electrode with collagen coating.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper examined the efficacy of an implantable electrical stimulator in rats for the functional regeneration of peripheral nerves.
  
  
  METHODS
  The implantable electrical stimulator was fabricated on a polyimide-based conduit with an integrated electrode, a stimulation chip, and a battery; 3 mg/mL of collagen gel was coated onto the conduit surface and electrical stimulation (20 µ A, 100 µ s, and 100 Hz biphasic current) was continuously applied between the nerve stumps for four weeks. The stimulator was tested on a severed sciatic nerve with a 7-mm gap in rats. The effects of both the electrical stimulation and the collagen application were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Functionality was evaluated through walk track assessments and by recording the action potential of the regenerated nerve. Immunohistochemical staining of the regenerated nerve was done using peripheral myelin protein 22.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the functional recovery of a severed peripheral nerve by the proposed implantable electrical stimulator was achieved through electrical current stimulation along the use of a collagen coating on the conduit surface.
authors: School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Tae Hyung
authors: TH
authors: Lee
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Pan
authors: In Sook
authors: IS
authors: Kim
authors: Jin Kyu
authors: JK
authors: Kim
authors: Tae Hyung
authors: TH
authors: Cho
authors: Ji Hye
authors: JH
authors: Oh
authors: Young Bong
authors: YB
authors: Yoon
authors: Jong Ho
authors: JH
authors: Lee
authors: Soon Jung
authors: SJ
authors: Hwang
authors: Sung June
authors: SJ
authors: Kim