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Item type:Publication, Access status: without files , Advances in Manufacturing of Biodegradable Spinal Cord Implants on Microscale through Micromolding and 3D Printing(2019-06); ; ; Spinal cord injury is a life changing event potentially leading to permanent paralysis. This paper presents advances in developing an implant for spinal cord treatment called mechanical microconnector system (mMS). A micromolding process was developed to transfer the mMS from biocompatible to biodegradable material. The results consist of a determined parameter-set for micromolding of biodegradable mMS for two poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) compounds and polycaprolactone (PCL). The process starts with a complex 3D quartz glass premaster, built through ultrafast laser radiation and subsequent wet-chemical etching (SLE = selective laser induced etching). The incorporation of a 3D printing technique arises from the objective to individualize and automatically produce biodegradable implants out of medical image data in future.Publicationtype: Conference Paper213 - Some of the metrics are blocked by yourconsent settings
Item type:Publication, Access status: with files , Low-pressure micro-mechanical re-adaptation device sustainably and effectively improves locomotor recovery from complete spinal cord injury(Springer, 2018-11-26); ; ; ; Traumatic spinal cord injuries result in impairment or even complete loss of motor, sensory and autonomic functions. Recovery after complete spinal cord injury is very limited even in animal models receiving elaborate combinatorial treatments. Recently, we described an implantable microsystem (microconnector) for low-pressure re-adaption of severed spinal stumps in rat. Here we investigate the long-term structural and functional outcome following microconnector implantation after complete spinal cord transection. Re-adaptation of spinal stumps supports formation of a tissue bridge, glial and vascular cell invasion, motor axon regeneration and myelination, resulting in partial recovery of motor-evoked potentials and a thus far unmet improvement of locomotor behaviour. The recovery lasts for at least 5 months. Despite a late partial decline, motor recovery remains significantly superior to controls. Our findings demonstrate that microsystem technology can foster long-lasting functional improvement after complete spinal injury, providing a new and effective tool for combinatorial therapies.Publicationtype: Journal ArticleScopus© Citations 3 313 316