Advanced Platform Technology Center
Bio-Inspired Materials for Neural Interfacing
Located at Case Western Reserve University, Wickenden Building, Room 135, 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106-7207 USA
And Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, K212
The APT Center Bio-Inspired Materials for Neural Interfacing Laboratory is used to design, fabricate, and evaluate new materials for biomedical applications and directed by Dr. Jeffrey Capadona. It is divided into a chemical wet lab, an instrumentation laboratory with mechanical testing machines, a tissue culture laboratory, and a microscope room. The unique room layout accommodates the light, noise, and vibrational requirements of specialized techniques. A SpectraMax Microplate Reader enables critical evaluation of the cellular and sub-cellular levels and ensures uninterrupted data collection. It also facilitates the development of materials important to the treatment and overall health of Veterans, specifically through the development of new advanced functional materials for neural interfacing and prosthetics. The Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) 8000 characterizes the mechanical properties of materials in simulated conditions of both pre- and post-implantation environments. A Rotary Microtome, Cryostat, OTS-5000 Tissue Slicer, and Automated Tissue Processor facilitate post-explantation tissue processing, to enable histological assessment of the device-tissue interfaces.
Photo: Kelsey Potter performing tissue culture