CHAPTER II.5.

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The Role of Biomaterials in Stimulating Bioelectrodes

EXERCISES
1.  What are the three fundamental requirements of a bioelectrode? 2.  What are the two fundamental types of bioelectrode charge transfer? Briefly, what is the fundamental difference between these two mechanisms of charge transfer? 3.  Explain the inherent trade-off between choosing an electrode with a large surface area versus choosing an electrode with a small surface area. 4.  What material properties of a bioelectrode contribute to the ability to achieve electrochemical reversibility? 5.  List three reasons why choosing an electrode with appropriate mechanical properties is important. 2.  Capacitive and Faradaic. Faradaic charge transfer involves reductionoxidation reactions in which electron transfer occurs between chemical species. Capacitive charge transfer does not. 3.  A large electrode surface area helps ensure electrochemical reversal for a large range of stimulation currents, due to increased capacitive and pseudocapacitive charge transfer capacity; however, a large surface area reduces the potential selectivity of an electrode when the physical size of the electrode becomes larger than the volume of tissue you wish to selectively activate. 4.  Electrode capacitance, electrode surface area, and capacity for pseudocapacitive reaction. 5.  The electrode must conform to the tissue; the electrode must be sufficiently stiff to allow for insertion and explant; the electrode should exhibit sufficient mechanical impedance matching to minimize relative motion between the implant and tissue.

ANSWERS
1.  Stimulation efficacy, tissue safety, maintenance of electrode integrity.

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