(222) A Fully Implantable Wireless Optofluidic Nerve Cuff System for Tether-Free Optogenetic and Pharmacologic Manipulation of Peripheral Nerves

Abstract

Optogenetic techniques offer tremendous potential to elucidate the physiological roles of the various subtypes of peripheral sensory neurons. The range of behaviors that can be studied using optogenetics has been limited due to the challenge of delivering light to opsin-expressing cells in freely behaving animals without perturbing normal behaviors. Recent advances in micro-scale light emitting diodes (μLEDs) and wireless powering technologies have allowed for the development of fully-wireless, implantable light-emitting devices to activate opsins in vivo. These devices provide an unprecedented opportunity to selectively manipulate the activity of distinct neuron populations in awake, behaving animals while removing experimental artifacts and confounds related to anesthesia and off-target pharmacological effects. Similar wireless devices have been effectively utilized in studies of brain and spinal cord neurons. Here, we present the design and implementation of a fully-wireless, soft nerve cuff device with integrated μLEDs and a microfluidic delivery system, for highly specific light delivery and local delivery of drugs to peripheral nerves. This integrated suite of technologies represents an advance over previous approaches in that it allows for tether-free targeted light delivery to a specific nerve bundle along with local drug delivery. This device utilizes near-field wireless communications to power independent time-locked delivery of up to four different pharmacologic agents as well as local light delivery at the nerve cuff interface. Importantly, the cuff is designed with soft bio-compliant materials and has minimal effect on overall nerve health or function even with chronic implantation. This opto-fluidic cuff will allow for future work discriminating the role of afferent populations in different aspects of nociception and sensory perception, using both optogenetics and local pharmacological approaches. This work is supported by NIBIB U18EB021793 to JA/RG, NINDS F31NS103472 to JGGR, NIDDK F32DK115122 to AM. and NIDA T32DA007261 to LM.