Interfacing the nervous system with electronic devices possibility for nerve repair - nanotech update

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Spire to Develop Biocompatible Scaffolds for Neural Electrodes

BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2004--Spire Corporation

(Nasdaq: SPIR): -- Award made under NIH Bioengineering Nanotechnology

Initiative. -- Nano-structured silicon surfaces are to be used as neural

growth scaffolds. -- Devices may someday be used for biological control

of prosthetic devices.

Spire Corporation (Nasdaq: SPIR) announced today that it has received a

$400,000 Phase I SBIR grant from the National Institute of Neurological

Disorders and Stroke, under the National Institutes of Health

Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative, to develop nano-structured

porous silicon coatings to enhance the biocompatibility of silicon-based

neural electrodes, which someday may be used for biological control of

prosthetic devices. Demonstrated success on this Phase I program can

lead to a Phase II program of as much as $1.2 million.

Interfacing the nervous system with electronic devices has long been an

exciting possibility for repairing nerve damage. Neuroprosthetics has

grown rapidly to include a variety of devices for stimulating peripheral

nerve tissue. However, devices that interact with brain tissue have

lagged behind due to the sensitive response of brain tissue to the

electrode. The silicon neural electrodes being developed under this

program are engineered with a nano-structured form of silicon, called

porous silicon, which acts as a scaffold that reduces glial scarring

from electrode implantation and enhances neural growth at the brain

recording sites to create a superior interface with neurons.

The research will be conducted by Spire Biomedical, Spire's wholly owned

subsidiary, with semiconductor processing support for the fabrication of

the silicon-based neural electrodes from Bandwidth Semiconductor,

another Spire wholly owned subsidiary. Using a rat brain model, neural

electrodes with unique nano-structured surfaces will be designed,

implanted and tested in collaboration with Drexel University's School of

Biomedical Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Moxon who has

been developing microelectrodes for chronic in-vivo recording of single

neurons in the brain for the past several years.

Nader Kalkhoran, Vice President of R & D, Spire Biomedical, said, " We are

pleased to have the opportunity under this NIH nanotechnology program to

develop biocompatible surface structures for multi-channel neural

electrodes, which could potentially help patients, as well as the

research community, dealing with such debilitating neurological

illnesses as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's

disease or spinal cord injury. We are also excited that this program

will benefit from nearly three decades of experience at Spire in the

areas of surface modification of biomaterials as well as semiconductor

device processing. "

Little, Spire Corporation CEO and Chairman, said, " This award

under the NIH Bioengineering Nanotechnology Initiative is testimony to

our ability to bring semiconductor nanotechnology to biomedical

applications. It is especially pleasing that we are using our expertise

to address an issue that can have such a dramatic effect upon people's

lives. "