Team:Pasteur Paris/Device

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We designed a global proposal, thinking of dimensions, materials, fabrication processes, always taking into consideration the industrial and medical feasibility and the user’s comfort. Our system includes an implantation stem featuring our engineered biofilm, an interface device to collect and process the signal from nerves, and also connect the future prosthesis. A charging station and an app are also part of our setup.

Implanting a functional stem

To connect our device to the user’s stump, we designed a fully functional osseointegrated stem.

This internal device needs an extremely high precision for machining parts. Indeed, the biofilm and the membrane’s nanometric scales, coupled with the necessity to extend a member, lead to constraining strength and precision’s placement. Directly in contact with bone, the sintered ceramic part links the bone and the titanium stem together (Figure1). Where the stem emerges from the bone, its diameter expands, increasing from 6 mm to 10 mm. The biofilm occupies the space in the few centimeters available between the bone and the skin. It is contained by a nanoporous membrane. The latter, made of PEDOT: PSS, is the surface upon which the nerves will come to fixate. This also allows the electric nerve current to be transformed into an electrical current on the membrane. This membrane is placed around the tube and will conduct the signal to the outside(Figure 2).

The titanium implanted tube, which is biocompatible, has a resistance as measured by it Young’s modulo of 193 GPa, and a low density of 4510 Kg/M3 compared to biocompatible stainless steel with 114 GPa and 800 Kg/M3.

Figure 1: diagram of the implantation’s system parts
Figure 2: Implantation’s sectional view

Connecting the device to the stump

Figure 3: Exploded drawing of NeuronArch’s interface device

Charging and synchronizing the interface device

Figure 4: Exploded drawing of NeuronArch charging station

Consulting and monitoring data

Figure 5: App’s connection diagram