Electrochemically driven reagent release from an electronic suture

- First characterisation of an electrochemical suture for sensing/actuation
- Characterisation of conductive silver thread-gold polymer composite
- Demonstration of controlled reagent release from suture
- Critical assessment of design merits and limitations

Sutures loaded with growth factors or antimicrobials are commonplace but the release of the therapeutic agent is almost invariably achieved through passive release mechanisms. A gold microwire loaded with cellulose acetate phthalate encapsulated drug droplets is proposed as an alternative design approach. The release mechanism relies upon the imposition of a suitable reducing potential at the gold suture resulting in an increase in local pH and thereby induces the dissolution of the polymeric binder and releases the drug. The ability to actively control the dissolution-release processes could lay the foundations for smart suture design where more responsive/metered dosing could be achieved.

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