Contract Management Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Neuroscience Center, Suite 3287, 6001 Executive Blvd., MSC 9531, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9531

A -- BIOMATERIALS FOR THE MICROELECTRODE-NEURAL INTERFACE SOL NINDS-00-RFI-06 DUE 121399 POC Contact Point, Desiree Wheeler, 301-496-1813, Contracting Officer, Kirkland L. Davis, 301-496-1813, Fax 301-496-1812, e-mail: dw76q@nih.gov The Repair and Plasticity Cluster of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institute of Health, is seeking to identify sources that are interested and have the potential capability to study biomaterials for the CNS with a long-term goal of rationally designing microelectrode surfaces to promote integration of microelectrodes within the CNS. Biomaterials that are implanted into the central nervous system, such as the microscopic electrode shafts of neural prostheses, should interact with neural and other tissues on a cellular and molecular level. Two differences between the implant and the neural tissue that hinder this interaction are differences in stiffness and differences in surface chemistry. For example, silicon microelectrodes have an elastic modulus of around 100 gigaPascals whereas the stiffness of neural tissue is on the order of 0.1 megapascals. This million fold difference in stiffness results in significant differential movement in response to external stress. The imbalance probably causes greater problems in large brained animals where stress loads are larger and may account for the greater difficulty that has been encountered in chronic recording from larger brained animals. An implanted surface must not move with respect to the neural tissue it is making connections with. In addition, the surface of an implant must be recognized biochemically by the neural tissue as a surface that is appropriate for contact. This interaction between implanted microelectrode and neural tissue must be understood and controlled. Controlling the interaction requires an understanding of how cell, including neurons and glia, and extracellular matrix respond to the surface chemistry of the implant and knowledge about leachable substances of implanted biomaterials. Microelectrodes offer the possibility of control stimulation of smaller volumes of neural tissue -- on the order of one thousand to one hundred thousand times smaller than those used today -- provided that thesurface interaction between the microelectrode and the neural tissue is controlled. This Request For Information (RFI) is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted or the Government's use of such information period. Acknowledgement of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of the Government's evaluation of the information received. However, should such a requirment materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this request for information or the Government's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. Responses will be held in a confidential manner. Any proprietary information should be so marked. All respondents are asked to indicate the type and size of your business organization, e.g., Large Business, Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned Business, 8(A), Historically Black College or University/Minority Institution (HBCU/MI), educational institution, profit/non-profit hospital, or other non-profit organizations. Submit two copies of your response within 14 days from the date of this publication to: Desiree Wheeler, Contracts Managment Branch, NINDS, NIH, Neuroscience Center, Suite 3287, 6001 Executive Boulevard, MSC 9531, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-9531. E-mail Address: dw76q@nih.gov. Telephone number: 301-496-1813. Posted 11/24/99 (W-SN403403). (0328)

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