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Implantation mechanics of tungsten microneedles into peripheral nerve trunks

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Abstract

50 μm tungsten microneedles have been used as a means to introduce longitudinal intra-fascicular electrodes (LIFE) into small peripheral nerve fascicles. However, recent attempts to implant LIFEs into larger, human sized nerves with the same needles resulted in buckling failure of the introducer needle. In the present study, the implantation mechanics (penetration forces and penetration dimple depth) of electrosharpened tungsten microneedles ranging in diameters from 50 to 200 μm into freshly excised porcine peripheral nerve trunks between 3 and 5 mm in thickness was characterized to understand the implantation mechanics and to find the minimum needle diameter that would result in successful penetration. The implant success rate was found to be highest with needles having diameters between 80 and 120 μm. The force of successful penetration ranged from 7.2 ± 0.6 to 71.8 ± 19.5 mN, and increased monotonically with needle diameter. It also had a tendency to increase with increasing tip angles. The dimple depth for successful penetrations varied between 1 and 1.5 mm, and also tended to increase with increasing tip angles, although it was generally not affected by increased needle diameter. Only the smallest penetration dimple depth was found to be different from the others and was associated with the smallest diameter needle (50 μm). Analysis based on the critical buckling force and the measured implantation forces indicated a 15 mm long needle of 80 μm diameter would be necessary and sufficient to penetrate medium to large sized nerves.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Brynjar Vatnsdal Pálsson, Ingólfur Pálsson, Drs. Romulus Lontis and Winnie Jensen for their assistance during the experiments and the preparation of the paper. The authors would further like to thank the Biolab at Aarhus University-Aalborg and the Animal Laboratory at Skejby Hospital for supplying the nerves used in this study, and Robin Waldron for grammatical editing of the paper. This work was supported in part by an award from the Sygekassernes Helsefond, and was performed as part of the Cyberhand project (European Commission 5th framework programme, IST-2001-35094 Cyberhand).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Sensory–Motor Interaction, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers vej 7, D3, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark

    Ken Yoshida & Mogens Nielsen

  2. Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers vej 7, D3, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark

    Ken Yoshida, Ina Lewinsky, Mogens Nielsen & Mads Hylleberg

  3. Biomedical Engineering Department, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 723 W. Michigan St.-SL174, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Ken Yoshida

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  1. Ken Yoshida
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  2. Ina Lewinsky
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  3. Mogens Nielsen
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  4. Mads Hylleberg
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Correspondence to Ken Yoshida.

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Yoshida, K., Lewinsky, I., Nielsen, M. et al. Implantation mechanics of tungsten microneedles into peripheral nerve trunks. Med Bio Eng Comput 45, 413–420 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-007-0175-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-007-0175-0

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