title: Single-crystal cubic silicon carbide: an in vivo biocompatible semiconductor for brain machine interface devices.
abstract: Single crystal silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide band-gap semiconductor which has shown both bio- and hemo-compatibility [1-5]. Although single crystalline SiC has appealing bio-sensing potential, the material has not been extensively characterized. Cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC) has superior in vitro biocompatibility compared to its hexagonal counterparts [3, 5]. Brain machine interface (BMI) systems using implantable neuronal prosthetics offer the possibility of bi-directional signaling, which allow sensory feedback and closed loop control. Existing implantable neural interfaces have limited long-term reliability, and 3C-SiC may be a material that may improve that reliability. In the present study, we investigated in vivo 3C-SiC biocompatibility in the CNS of C56BL/6 mice. 3C-SiC was compared against the known immunoreactive response of silicon (Si) at 5, 10, and 35 days. The material was examined to detect CD45, a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) expressed by activated microglia and macrophages. The 3C-SiC surface revealed limited immunoresponse and significantly reduced microglia compared to Si substrate.
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology department, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33613, USA. cfrewin1@health.usf.edu
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Frewin
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.forename: Stephen E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Saddow
authors.forename: Edwin J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Weeber
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry*; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012666:Semiconductors; D017655:Silicon Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D017655:Silicon Compounds; C022088:silicon carbide