Wet-printing of PEDOT:PSS Microelectrodes for Gastric Slow Wave Recording

Bioelectrical slow waves are fundamental to maintaining the normal motility of the gastrointestinal tract. Slow wave abnormalities are associated with several major digestive disorders. High-resolution electrical mapping arrays have been used to investigate pathological slow wave abnormalities. However, conventional electrode substrate materials are opaque with high mechanical modulus, which leads to non-compliance and sub-par contact with the organ, without additional manipulations. Here we developed highly conformal and transparent conducting polymer electrode arrays using the extrusion wet-printing technique. The performance of electrodes for the electrophysiological recording of the gastric slow wave was validated using in a pig model, against a previously validated reference array over 100 s recording window. The conducting polymer electrodes registered comparable frequency to the reference array (
$3.31\pm 0.20$
cpm vs.
$3.27\pm 0.07$
cpm,
$\mathrm{p} =0.067$
), with lower amplitude (
$372\pm 237$
vs.
$586\pm 291\ \mu\mathrm{V},\mathrm{p}< 0.001$
), and signal to noise ratio (
$10.92\pm 7.83$
vs.
$17.40\pm 8.01\ \text{dB},\quad\mathrm{p}< 0.001$
). Further adjustments to the deposition parameters and contact material will improve the performance of the conducting polymer array for future experimental applications. Clinical Relevance— These conducting polymer electrodes provide better compliance and minimized mechanical mismatch to the gut tissue thus allowing long-term monitoring and stimulation of the gut. This could be potentially extended to other organs as well