Executive Summary : | Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic condition that requires chronic care, causing permanent loss of sensation and motor function. Despite extensive research, the neurological prognosis for individuals with complete and severe SCI remains dismal. Activity-based locomotor training, the only practice used to enhance recovery, does not yield significant outcomes in individuals with severe SCI. Spinal Epidural Electrical Stimulation (sEES) has been shown to produce rhythmic motor activity patterns in spinalized rats and humans with complete SCI. External electric stimulation is a powerful tool to enhance recovery from nerve injuries, particularly in SCI, where limited spontaneous axonal regeneration at the injured site results in significant pain. Developing effective loading techniques to apply electrical stimuli on neural cells or tissue, regulating neural performances, recording neural activities, and promoting nerve regeneration will have promising applications in the coming decades. Traditional electrical stimulation involves implanting electrodes, which can cause interface effects, secondary damage, and inflammatory responses. These implanted electrodes are connected pulse generators or batteries, which are implemented by microcontroller-based systems placed inside the body. These devices and surgeries often create complexity or contamination on the implanted site, requiring additional surgery for removal. This research proposes and simulated an injectable patch of polymer-magnetoelectric nanorobot microcapsule, which can be injected to the epidural region of the injury site on the spinal cord and provide sEES controlled by remote modulated magnetic field provided by electromagnets positioned outside the human body. This revolutionary technique for spinal cord injury recovery without the need for surgically implanted electrodes, complex micro-controllers, and batteries is urgently desired. |