Wednesday, October 1, 2025 10/1/2025

Regenerative Ultramicroelectrode arrays for sensory-motor specific interfacing

Award Number: R01NS124222
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2024
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2026

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Regenerative Ultramicroelectrode arrays for sensory-motor specific interfacing - Project Summary Approximately 4 million amputees globally, a number estimated to grow 200,000 annually. Upper limb amputees traditionally use passive, body powered, or electrically powered prostheses that use surface Electromyographic (EMG) signals from intact muscles in the residual limb for movement, despite the motion artifacts, variability and need of visual and/or surrogate sensory control by the user. Advanced peripheral nervous system (PNS) interfaces have been proposed as a viable mechanism to improve the control by amputees, by reading naturalistic sensory feedback from the robotic prosthetics. Unfortunately, current neural interfaces suffer from common challenges, and electrode failure, signal deterioration over time, EMG contamination and electrical and unstable sensory percepts, including “stings or tingles” remain a challenge. This study is uses two novel strategies designed to increase the selectivity of recording/stimulation at the PNS interface: 1) The use of an innovative regenerative multi-electrode interface with ultra-small recording sites using our recently developed ultra-thin multielectrode array , and 2) incorporation of molecular guidance cues to influence the type of sensory neurons at the neural interface. This selectivity Regenerative Ultramicro Multielectrode Array (RUMEA) is designed to discriminate between motor and cutaneous neural interfacing by combining it with molecular guidance to biologically engineer the content of sensory-motor axons at the electrode interface. Three specific aims are included: In SA1 36-electrode RUMAs, straight and Y-shape devices, will be fabricated and electrochemical and mechanical tested. In SA2 we seek to demonstrate selective recording from motor axons and evoke touch percepts using the RUMA. In SA3, we will demonstrate selective interfacing of motor and tactile axons in an upper limb amputee rat model of bidirectional Nerve Machine Interface using molecularly guided RUMAs. If successful, this strategy will demonstrate the benefit for using RUMA for selective recording from motor axons, and stimulation of sensory modality axons that evoke naturalistic sensory percepts. This advancement in peripheral neural interfaces for amputees, will reduce the cognitive burden for users of robotic prosthetics, and decrease the abnormal sensations associated with electrical stimulation in the PNS.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $1,573,181 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	845 N PARK AVE RM 538	TUCSON	AZ	85721	PIMA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	5	6/27/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$559,393
2025	2024	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	845 N PARK AVE RM 538	TUCSON	AZ	85721	PIMA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	4	3/20/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$1,013,788
														Subtotal = $1,573,181

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $542,610 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA	845 N PARK AVE RM 538	TUCSON	AZ	85721	PIMA	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	4	8/2/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$542,610
2024	2023	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	8/2/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $542,610

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $557,515 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4300 MARTIN LUTHER KING BLVD	HOUSTON	TX	77204	HARRIS	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	3	7/3/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$557,515
														Subtotal = $557,515

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $560,672 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4800 W CALHOUN ST STE 316	HOUSTON	TX	77004	HARRIS	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	2	7/7/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$560,672
														Subtotal = $560,672

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $585,250 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM	4800 W CALHOUN ST STE 316	HOUSTON	TX	77004	HARRIS	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	8/25/2021	NEW	$585,250
														Subtotal = $585,250

Grand Total All Awards = $3,819,228

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Regenerative Ultramicroelectrode arrays for sensory-motor specific interfacing

Award Number: R01NS124222

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/01/2024

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2026

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