Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32481670›Full record

ArticleMicromachines2020

The Roles of an Aluminum Underlayer in the Biocompatibility and Mechanical Integrity of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Interfacing with Retinal Neurons.

William J Watterson, Saba Moslehi, Conor Rowland, Kara M Zappitelli, Julian H Smith, David Miller, Julie E Chouinard, Stephen L Golledge, Richard P Taylor, Maria-Thereza Perez and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Micromachines, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

William J WattersonPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Saba MoslehiPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Conor RowlandPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Kara M ZappitelliPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Julian H SmithPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
David MillerPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Julie E ChouinardCenter for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Stephen L GolledgeCenter for Advanced Materials Characterization in Oregon, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Richard P TaylorPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
Maria-Thereza PerezDepartment of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Ophthalmology, Lund University, SE-221 84 Lund, Sweden.
Benjamín J AlemánPhysics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
University of Oregon · USLund University · SE

Funding

Crafoordska Stiftelsen no grant numberCrown Princess Margareta's Committee for the Blind no grant numberNational Science Foundation DMR-1532225Stiftelse för Synskadade i f.d. Malmöhus Län no grant numberUniversity of Oregon no grant numberVetenskapsrådet no grant numberW. M. Keck Foundation no grant number
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Retinal implant devices are becoming an increasingly realizable way to improve the vision of patients blinded by photoreceptor degeneration. As an electrode material that can improve restored visual acuity, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) excel due to their nanoscale topography, flexibility, surface chemistry, and double-layer capacitance. If vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) are biocompatible with retinal neurons and mechanically robust, they can further improve visual acuity-most notably in subretinal implants-because they can be patterned into high-aspect-ratio, micrometer-size electrodes. We investigated the role of an aluminum (Al) underlayer beneath an iron (Fe) catalyst layer used in the growth of VACNTs by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). In particular, we cultured dissociated retinal cells for three days in vitro (DIV) on unfunctionalized and oxygen plasma functionalized VACNTs grown from a Fe catalyst (Fe and Fe + Pl preparations, where Pl signifies the plasma functionalization) and an Fe catalyst with an Al underlayer (Al/Fe and Al/Fe + Pl preparations). The addition of the Al layer increased the mechanical integrity of the VACNT interface and enhanced retinal neurite outgrowth over the Fe preparation. Unexpectedly, the extent of neurite outgrowth was significantly greater in the Al/Fe than in the Al/Fe+Pl preparation, suggesting plasma functionalization can negatively impact biocompatibility for some VACNT preparations. Additionally, we show our VACNT growth process for the Al/Fe preparation can support neurite outgrowth for up to 7 DIV. By demonstrating the retinal neuron biocompatibility, mechanical integrity, and pattern control of our VACNTs, this work offers VACNT electrodes as a solution for improving the restored visual acuity provided by modern retinal implants.

Indexed as

biomaterialscell culturegliaretinal implantsretinal neuronsVACNTs

Identifiers

PMID32481670
PMCPMC7345717
OpenAlexW3032162462

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.