Contact Separation Triboelectric Nanogenerator Based Neural Interfacing for Effective Sciatic Nerve Restoration

Peripheral nerve injuries represent one of the most common causes of permanent disabilities. Therapeutic electrical stimulation has been widely used in neural regeneration for decades. Combined with the implantation of a nerve cuff, several outcomes have proven effectiveness and feasibility in neuroprosthetic applications. However, the current electrical stimulation strategy fails to complete nerve repair. There is a lack of research on long-term implantable nanogenerators in the neurostimulation scenario. Especially considering many disease models, those devices may not reach the in vitro simulative working setting. Thus, an implanted sciatic nerve stimulation system that spontaneously generates biphasic electric pulses in response to rats' movement is developed. The electric signals generated by this device could stimulate injured sciatic nerve by cuff electrode. This work introduces an implantable self-regulated neural electrical stimulation system generated by a contact separation triboelectric nanogenerator with a nerve cuff electrode and compares it with chronic therapeutic electrical stimulation for sciatic nerve restoration effect. Neural function restoration is observed in gait and histological analysis. Moreover, the upregulation of growth associated protein 43 can be a protentional target. This could have potential clinical application in facilitating closed-loop energy harvesting for long-term electrical stimulation.

Automated summary

Peripheral nerve injuries are a common cause of permanent disabilities, and therapeutic electrical stimulation has been widely used for neural regeneration. However, current electrical stimulation strategies are insufficient for complete nerve repair. In this study, researchers developed an implanted nerve stimulation system that generates electric pulses in response to movement, and observed neural function restoration through gait and histological analysis.