Towards Resorbable Elastomeric Circuit Boards for Implantable Medical Devices

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Flexible Electronics
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Implantable medical devices (IMDs) traditionally target chronic use and specific anatomical locations.
• Resorbable IMDs offer potential for temporary applications, such as acute care and soft tissue interfacing.
• Poly(octamethylene maleate (anhydride) citrate) (POMaC) is a biocompatible and bioresorbable elastomer with tunable properties, but its use in flexible electronics was unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer and characterize a novel circuit board based on the elastomer Poly(octamethylene maleate (anhydride) citrate) (POMaC).
• To evaluate the feasibility of using POMaC-based circuit boards for resorbable implantable medical devices (IMDs).

Main Methods:

• Characterization of POMaC pre-polymer monomer composition and thermal degradation properties.
• Fabrication of POMaC-based circuit boards using microfabrication techniques (spin coating, metallization).
• Construction and testing of a functional LED circuit on the developed POMaC circuit board.

Main Results:

• POMaC pre-polymer and films demonstrated thermal stability up to 300°C.
• POMaC materials exhibited controlled degradation under simulated physiological conditions and were cytocompatible.
• Metallized traces on POMaC boards remained stable during fabrication, enabling surface mount device integration for a functional LED circuit.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully demonstrates the feasibility of using Poly(octamethylene maleate (anhydride) citrate) (POMaC) for fabricating circuit boards.
• POMaC-based circuit boards are suitable for resorbable implantable medical devices (IMDs), opening avenues for temporary medical applications.
• Future research will focus on more complex circuits, device encapsulation, and comprehensive mechanical characterization.