May 2007
Volume 48, Issue 13
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   May 2007
In vitro Biocompatibility of Polymers Used in the Fabrication of Microelectrode Arrays
L. M. Franco; M. Uhlenhuth; A. Osasona; W. Vayaboury; C. Scholz; D. Shire; J. F. Rizzo; H. J. Kaplan; V. Enzmann
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • L. M. Franco
    Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
  • M. Uhlenhuth
    duPont Manual High School, Louisville, Kentucky
  • A. Osasona
    Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard Univeristy, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • W. Vayaboury
    Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama
  • C. Scholz
    Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama
  • D. Shire
    Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
    Center for Innovative Visual Rehabilitation, VA Medical Center, Ithaca, New York
  • J. F. Rizzo
    Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
    Center for Innovative Visual Rehabilitation, VA Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
  • H. J. Kaplan
    Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
  • V. Enzmann
    Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky
    Ophthalmology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships L.M. Franco, None; M. Uhlenhuth, None; A. Osasona, None; W. Vayaboury, None; C. Scholz, None; D. Shire, None; J.F. Rizzo, None; H.J. Kaplan, None; V. Enzmann, None.
  • Footnotes
    Support Veteran’s Affairs Administration V523P/7278; Research Prevent Blindness Inc., New York; Rounsavall Foundation, Louisville; Kentucky Research Trust Challenge Fund (HJK).
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science May 2007, Vol.48, 672. doi:
  • Views
  • Share
  • Tools
    • Alerts
      User Alerts
      You are adding an alert for:
      In vitro Biocompatibility of Polymers Used in the Fabrication of Microelectrode Arrays
      You will receive an email whenever this article is corrected, updated, or cited in the literature. You can manage this and all other alerts in My Account
      The alert will be sent to:
      ×
      This feature is available to authenticated users only.
      Sign In or Create an Account ×
    • Get Citation
      Citation

      L. M. Franco, M. Uhlenhuth, A. Osasona, W. Vayaboury, C. Scholz, D. Shire, J. F. Rizzo, H. J. Kaplan, V. Enzmann; In vitro Biocompatibility of Polymers Used in the Fabrication of Microelectrode Arrays. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2007;48(13):672.

      Download citation file:

      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

      ×
    • Get Permissions
  • Supplements
Abstract

Purpose:: This work is related to the efforts of the Boston Retinal Implant Project to develop a sub-retinal prosthesis to restore vision to the blind. The specific purpose of the presentation is to test the in vitro biocompatibility of polymers used to manufacture and coat microelectrode arrays (MEA).

Methods:: Mouse retinal pigmented epithelium (mRPE) cells at different passages were used for this study. The matrix polymers tested were polyimide and parylene. The coating polymers tested were block co-polymers with polyethylene glycol (PEG) being the common base attached to a PLL (poly-lysine), PLGA (poly-glutamic acid) or PLAA (poly-aspartic acid) polymer with a known number of units. Each coating polymer was either thiolated (-SH) or non-thiolated. Viability and proliferation assessments were performed on the matrix polymer types using a trypan blue exclusion test and MTT test, respectively, and a live/dead assay was used to assess cytotoxicity. For the coating polymers, RPE cell attachment/detachment was tested as well as viability (% of live cells) using the live/dead assay.

Results:: To study the matrix polymers, the viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity tests compared three groups: control, polyimide and parylene. The viability and cytotoxicity tests showed no significant difference between either material or the control; for the proliferation test, only one test out of 32 showed a significant difference. For the coating polymers, the average viability (% of live cells) across the polymers showed no significant difference when compared to the control. Attachment/detachment measurements showed differences between the thiolated and non-thiolated groups but no differences were statistically signficant.

Conclusions:: Our results showed that the polymers used in this study were biocompatible with RPE cells, making them possible candidates in the manufacture and development of the MEA.

Keywords: retinal pigment epithelium 
© 2007, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc., all rights reserved. Permission to republish any abstract or part of an abstract in any form must be obtained in writing from the ARVO Office prior to publication.
Copyright © 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
×
×

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

Sign in or purchase a subscription to access this content. ×

You must be signed into an individual account to use this feature.

×
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.Accept