Numerical study of electrical stimulation for neuronal cell growth on silica aerogel substrate

An aerogel-based Neuronal Printed Circuit Board (NPCB) with electrical stimulation capabilities is currently under investigation as an alternative method for repair of injury sustained to peripheral nerves. Here, we report the results of the numerical analysis of electric field distribution, fluidic motion, and temperature rise due to such superficial electrical stimuli. In this analysis, a cylindrical aerogel structure is modeled for both voltage and current stimulation using COMSOL finite element analysis software. Voltage excitation of 100 mV and current excitations of 0.1 to 1 A are applied to a pair or a single electrode of gold track with dimension of 20×2×0.2 mm³. Simulation results demonstrate that electric field lines are highly concentrated on the surface of the aerogel where the gold tracks exist. Besides, the stimulation generates fluidic motion, and the steady state temperature increase due to the stimulation is less than 1K for current stimulation of less than 0.35 A.