Shuttle-Assisted Implantation of Ultraflexible Neural Electrodes
(A) Schematic showing the needle-thread temporary engaging mechanism. Inset: Zoom-in sketch highlighting that the micro-post engages in the micro-hole on a NET. Figure adapted from Sci. Adv. 3 e1601966 (Luan et al., 2017) with permission. Copyright 2017 AAAS.
(B) Photograph of the insertion process with a “sewing machine.” Arrows indicate a needle penetrating tissue proxy, advancing the thread to the desired depth. Figure reprinted from J Med Internet Res 2019; 21(10):e16194 (Musk, 2019) with permission. Copyright 2019 Journal of Medical Internet Research.
(C) Sketch demonstrating the temporary adhesion between shuttle wires and the neural electrodes. Inset shows a photograph of the NET-shuttle pairs before implantation.
(D) Optical micrograph of a polymer neural probe mounted on a sharpened silicon shuttle. Inset: Zoom-in view of the top of a sharpened silicon shuttle and wicking channel for PEG at midline. Figure reprinted from Journal of Neural Engineering 16.6 (2019): 066021 (Joo et al., 2019) with permission. Copyright 2019 IOP. Scale bars: 500 μm in (inset in C), 100 μm in (D), and 50 μm in (inset in D).