Piezoelectric nerve guidance and regeneration

Abstract

A method of activating a piezoelectric neuroconduit guide scaffold including a plurality of aligned piezoelectric polymer nanofibers, the method including mechanically stimulating the piezoelectric neuroconduit guide scaffold with hydro-acoustic waves or shockwaves to remotely activate a piezoelectric effect of the nanofibrous scaffolds that induces a mechano-electrical stimulus on neural cells cultured on the scaffold, wherein the mechano-electrical stimulus promotes nerve fiber outgrowth from the neuronal cells. Some aspects relate to seeding individual components of neural tissues on the piezoelectric neuroconduit guide scaffold, wherein the hydro-acoustic stimulation induces neural tissue formation. In other aspects, the piezoelectric neuroconduit guide scaffold is implanted in a damaged neural tissue, wherein stimulating the piezoelectric neuroconduit guide scaffold by the application of shockwaves promotes nerve fiber outgrowth that bridges a nerve gap to induce nerve regeneration or reinnervation of the damaged neural tissue.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.