Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

Biomomentum Inc. specializes in providing solutions for the biomechanical evaluation of tissues, biomaterialsx000D
and cartilage. The company develops and commercializes the Arthro-BSTTM, an arthroscopic probe used forx000D
precise, non-destructive assessment of articular cartilage. Arthro-BSTTM measures streaming potentialsx000D
generated during compression of articular cartilage during an arthroscopic procedure and assesses itsx000D
electro-mechanical properties. To ensure reliable local streaming potential measurement by an individualx000D
microelectrode (37 microelectrodes, each with a geometric surface: 20µm x 80µm), a sophisticatedx000D
current-voltage transducer is used. When the device is surgically introduced into the knee, small air bubblesx000D
tend to form on the microelectrodes' surfaces, which create electrical fluctuations that cause a significant delayx000D
before the probe can perform useful measurements. Improving hydrophilicity (wettability) of thex000D
microelectrode array should greatly reduce air bubble formation, which in turn should significantly reducex000D
electrical equilibration time during arthroscopy. In this project, two separate surface treatment methods will bex000D
tested on the microelectrode array, both designed to increase wettablity: (i) Pluronic® brush-coating; (ii)x000D
Atmospheric pressure plasma-polymerization of organic films, known as plasma polymers.