Customized Flexible Osteoid Electrode for Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Posttraumatic Epilepsy Monitoring

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a serious brain disease that causes the loss of motor functions, cognitive impairments, and even death. Real-time and long-term electrophysiological signal monitoring has significant implication for the treatment of patient with TBI. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) utilizing flexible electrodes enable accurate epilepsy identification by electrocorticography (ECoG) signal monitoring. In this study, a customized flexible osteoid electrode is developed, which contributes to demands and personal differentiation among patients with TBI. The end product of osteoid electrode after full osseointegration will be a stable and firmly integrated structure within the bone tissue, providing a secure platform for continuous electrophysiological signal monitoring. The flexibility and conductivity of the osteoid electrode enables high-quality and long-term epilepsy monitoring. Biocompatibility of the osteoid electrode is also demonstrated by in vitro cell experiments. Simultaneously, the porous osteoid electrode also exhibits osseointegration ability based on potential long-term ECoG signal monitoring, which suggests its potential for the comprehensive treatment of TBI patients. This work not only introduces a potential therapeutic scaffold for TBI-related diseases, but also provides promising techniques for clinical ECoG monitoring in patients with TBI. Osteoid electrode that can be implanted between scalp and epidural for high-quality monitoring is developed. It is manufactured by 3D printing, which can replace irregular fractures for better cerebral protection. Due to its flexibility, the osteoid electrode achieves a balance between high signal quality and less-invasiveness. Additionally, it has a highly interconnected porous structure that allows cell recruitment and penetration. image