# CRCNS: Improving Bioelectronic Selectivity with Intrafascicular Stimulation

> **NIH NIH R01** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $99,433

## Abstract

The network of peripheral nerves offers extraordinary potential for modulating and/or 
monitoring the functioning of internal organs or the brain. The nervous system functions by 
generating patterns of neural activity. To influence neural activity for desired outcomes, 
neural interface technology must access the appropriate peripheral nerve tissue, activate it 
in a focal targeted manner, and alter the patterns of activity. The anatomical organization of 
peripheral nerves, which consists of multiple nerve fibers clustered into one or more fascicles, 
presents opportunities and challenges for precise control of spatiotemporal patterns. The efficacy 
of peripheral nerve stimulation will depend greatly on the ability of the bioelectronic 
interface to achieve the specificity that may be required for clinical applications, 
basic science studies and for augmentation of human capabilities. Systems that enable greater 
specifictty are likely to achieve a higher degree of functionality with fewer side effects. This 
work is directed at increasing the specificity that can be achieved with peripheral nerve 
stimulation in a manner that will enable a wide range of clinical and non­ clinical applications. 
lntraneural electrodes that are embedded within the fascicles can utilize low-amplitude electrical 
pulses to generate an electric field that can preferentially activate small groups of fibers that 
are close to the electrode. Longitudinal intrafascicular electrodes (LIFEs) allow access to nerve 
fibers within a fascicle and their mechanical properties are well-suited for chronic use. LIFEs 
enable activation with sub­ fascicular specificity, but there is great potential for enhancing 
their specificity using advanced stimulation strategies. The goal of this US-French 
collaboration is to achieve high specificity by exploring two approaches: using multiple 
contacts within a fascicle to direct current (field-steering strategies) and using alternative 
shapes of stimulation pulses to preferentially activate fibers with specific properties (waveform 
strategies). The proposal builds on a prior collaboration in which a new hardware platform for 
stimulation was developed by the French team. Using computational models, we will develop and 
analyze new strategies for selective stimulation of nerve fibers within individual fascicles. The 
hardware platform will be enhanced and further developed to enable real-time implementation of the 
field-steering and waveform strategies with a set of LIFEs. In vivo studies on anesthetized 
rabbits will assess the ability of the field-steering and waveform strategies to enhance 
selectivity with intrafascicular stimulation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10180964
- **Project number:** 5R01EB027584-04
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JAMES J. ABBAS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $99,433
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2022-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10180964

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10180964, CRCNS: Improving Bioelectronic Selectivity with Intrafascicular Stimulation (5R01EB027584-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10180964. Licensed CC0.

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