AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Tuesday Sessions
       Session BI+MN-TuA

Paper BI+MN-TuA9
A Bio-MEMS Device for Modeling the Reflex-arc

Tuesday, November 14, 2006, 4:40 pm, Room 2014

Session: Microfluidics, MEMS, Lab-on-Chip
Presenter: K.A. Wilson, University of Central Florida
Authors: K.A. Wilson, University of Central Florida
M. Das, University of Central Florida
J.W. Rumsey, University of Central Florida
P. Molnar, University of Central Florida
J.J. Hickman, University of Central Florida
Correspondent: Click to Email
The reflex-arc is the most basic functional unit of the animal nervous system and consists of three elements: a muscle fiber, a motoneuron (MN), and a dorsal root ganglion cell (DRG). These elements form a circuit that serves to control functions such as breathing, digestion, and involuntary muscle contraction. Due to the importance of this biological circuit it is of great interest in the study of neurodegenerative disease (ND), traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), and bioprosthetics/biorobotics. However, due to the complex interactions of the cell types involved, novel strategies are required to study this circuit in vitro. Our objective is to develop a MEMS device for recreating the spinal reflex-arc as a model system for studying ND, SCI, and bioprosthetics/biorobotics. As a first step we have demonstrated the ability to culture the various elements of the reflex-arc in a defined serum-free culture system. We have also developed a MEMS platform for integrating these elements into a format that allows stringent control of physiological parameters as well as selective stimulation of the individual elements of the reflex-arc. Furthermore we are now able to measure contractile forces generated by the muscle component of the circuit using this system. Ultimately this device will allow the controlled interrogation of the reflex-arc for basic science and therapeutic research applications.