Fig. 1: Concept and material design of ferroelectret-based NeuroRing for peripheral neuromodulation.
From: Soft ferroelectret ultrasound receiver for targeted peripheral neuromodulation
a The NeuroRing wrapped around a peripheral nerve (PN) is an US receiver that can be triggered by US pulses to yield electrical impulses targeting the PNs that regulate various organs and functions. b Illustration of the laminar-flow-assisted electrospinning for fabricating ferroelectret fibers. c Ferroelectret was a composite consisting of piezoelectric PVDF and ZnO particles with a porous ferroelectret structure. The cavitation effect of the gas stretching force creates voids at the particle-polymer interface. These pores induce electrically polarized domains (dipoles) in a subsequent process called poling. The increased numbers of dipoles improve the output of the electric charges that are formed by US vibrations. d TEM image showing the ferroelectret pore structure. n = 8 independent experiments showing similar results. e EDS mapping images of fiber localization. n = 3 independent experiments showing similar results. f Piezoelectric coefficient versus Young’s modulus for various piezoelectric materials. Detailed data and references are in Supplementary Table 1.
