• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 2006

In this paper, we fabricated and evaluated polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)-based flexible and implantable micro electrodes. The electrode patterning was carried out with the photolithography and chemical etching process after e-beam evaporation of 100 ATi and 1000 A Au. The PDMS substrate was treated by oxygen plasma using reactive ion etching(RIE) system to improve the adhesiveness of PDMS and metal layers. The minimum line width of fabricated micro electrode was 20 $\mu$m. After finished patterning, we did packaging with PDMS and then brought up the electrode's part about 40 $\mu$m with gold electroplating. The Hank's balanced salt solution(HBSS) test was carried out for 6 month for endurance of fabricated micro electrode. We carried out in-vivo test for the evaluation of biocompatibility by implanting electrodes under the ICR mouse skin for 42 days.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.292-301
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• 2010

To restore visual sensation of blind patients, we have proposed a fully implantable retinal prosthesis comprising an three dimensionally (3D) stacked retinal chip for transforming optical signal to electrical signal, a flexible cable with stimulus electrode array for stimulating retina cells, and coupling coils for power transmission. The 3D stacked retinal chip is consisted of several LSI chips such as photodetector, signal processing circuit, and stimulus current generator. They are vertically stacked and electrically connected using 3D integration technology. Our retinal prosthesis has a small size and lightweight with high resolution, therefore it could increase the patients` quality of life (QOL). For realizing the fully implantable retinal prosthesis, we developed a retinal prosthesis module comprising a retinal prosthesis chip and a flexible cable with stimulus electrode array for generating optimal stimulus current. In this study, we used a 2D retinal chip as a prototype retinal prosthesis chip. We fabricated the polymide-based flexible cable of $20{\mu}m$ thickness where 16 channels Pt stimulus electrode array was formed in the cable. Pt electrode has an impedance of $9.9k{\Omega}$ at 400Hz frequency. The retinal prosthesis chip was mounted on the flexible cable by an epoxy and electrically connected by Au wire. The retinal prosthesis chip was cappted by a silicone to pretect from corrosive environments in an eyeball. Then, the fabricated retinal prosthesis module was implanted into an eyeball of a rabbit. We successfully recorded electrically evoked potential (EEP) elicited from the rabbit brain by the current stimulation supplied from the implanted retinal prosthesis module. EEP amplitude was increased linearly with illumination intensity and irradiation time of incident light. The retinal prosthesis chip was well functioned after implanting into the eyeball of the rabbit.

• Electronics and Telecommunications Trends
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.27-39
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• 2017

A variety of medical devices are utilized to repair or help injured body functions after accidental injury(such as a traffic accident), population aging, or disease. Such medical devices are being actively researched and developed in portable form, skin patchable type, and further, implantable form. In the future, active implantable medical devices for neuro and brain sciences are expected to be developed. Active implantable medical devices that detect brain signals and control neurology for a wider understanding of human cognition and nerve functions, and for an understanding and treatment of various diseases, are being actively pursued for future use. In this paper, the core elements of implantable devices that can be applied to neuro and brain sciences are classified into electrode technologies for bio-signal acquisition and stimulation, analog/digital circuit technologies for signal processing, human body communication technologies, wireless power transmission technologies for continuous device use, and device integration technologies to integrate them. In each chapter, the latest technology development trends for each detailed technology field are reviewed.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2007

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has developed over the last 35 years to become a scientifically, technologically and clinically recognized field of interest in clinical medicine. FES has been applied to locomotion, grasping, ventilation, incontinence, and decubitus healing. However, all of these achievements illustrate the initial applications of FES; its true potential has not yet been realized. Recently, FES systems, which are miniaturized stimulation devices, have been utilized in the clinical setting. However, because the stimulating electrodes of the current FES devices are percutaneous electrodes, which are susceptible to wire breakage, and skin infection an implantable FES stimulating electrode has been introduced in the U.S. and Japan. In the present study, an external power supply method using radio frequency (RF) coupling and data transmission was developed for the control of the implantable FES device. In addition, we review the current understanding of FES devices and their application in clinical medicine.

• Journal of Korea Society of Industrial Information Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.9-16
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• 2014

Electrode contact resistance is a crucial factor in physiological measurements and can be an accuracy limiting factor to perform electrical impedance measurements. The electrical bio-impedance values can be calculated by the conductivity and permittivity of underlying tissue using implant electrode in human skin. In this study we focus on detecting physiological changes in the human skin layers such as the sebum layer, stratum corneum layer, epidermis layer, dermis layer, subcutaneous fat and muscle. The aim of this paper is to obtain optimal design for implantable electrode at subcutaneous fat layer through the simulation by finite element methods(FEM). This is achieved by evaluating FEM simulations geometrically for different electrodes in length(50 mm, 70 mm), in shape(rectangle, round square, sexangle column), in material(gold) and in depth(22.325 mm) based on the information coming from the subcutaneous fat layer. In bio-impedance measurement experiments, according to electrode shapes and applied voltage, we have ascertained that there was the highest difference of bio-impedance in subcutaneous fat layer. The methodology of simulation can be extended to account for different electrode designs as well as more physical phenomena that are relevant to electrical impedance measurements of skin and their interpretation.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.22-28
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• 2015

This study demonstrates a polyimide nerve cuff electrode with a conductive polymer for improving recording signal quality at peripheral nerve. The nerve cuff electrodes with platinum (Pt), iridium oxide (IrOx), and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): p-toluene sulfonate (PEDOT:pTS) were fabricated and investigated their electrical characteristics for improving recorded nerve signal quality. The fabricated nerve cuff electrodes with Pt, IrOx, and PEDOT:pTS were characterized their impedance and CDC by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry. The impedance of PEDOT:pTS measured at 1 kHz was $257{\Omega}$, which was extremely lower than the value of the nerve cuff electrodes with IrOx ($15897{\Omega}$) and Pt ($952{\Omega}$), respectively. Furthermore, the charge delivery capacity (CDC) of the nerve cuff electrode with PEDOT:pTS was dramatically increased to 62 times than the nerve cuff electrode with IrOx. In ex-vivo test using extracted sciatic nerve of spaque-dawley rat (SD rat), the PEDOT:pTS group exhibited higher signal-to-interference ratio than IrOx group. These results indicated that the nerve cuff electrode with PEDOT:pTS is promising for effective implantable nerve signal recording.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.415-430
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• 2008

The technologies in medical electronic implant(MEI) devices are developing rapidly, and already, there are various kinds of the MEI devices in the current medical equipments market. Recently, the global market scale of MEI devices have been increased about 13% year by year, and the import amount of MEI devices in Korea is increasing rapidly. In the near future, the demands of MEI devices will be magnificently increasing by the continuous development of the biomedical electronics devices which coupled with neural, brain and other organs will bring us to tremendous effects, such as providing new therapeutic solutions to patients, extension and saving human life, and an important clue of medical development. However, the investment of the research and the activity of developments in this field are still very weak in the Korea. Consequently, this paper introduces about the research trends of MEI devices, and technological problems those must be solved, and then concludes with the suggestions in order to be the leading country in this field.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.223-227
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• 2003

A new flexible electronic packaging technology and its medical applications are presented. Conventional silicon chips and electronic modules can be considered as "mechanically rigid box." which does not bend due to external forces. This mechanically rigid characteristic prohibits its applications to wearable systems or bio-implantable devices. Using current MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) technology. a surface micromachined flexible polysilicon sensor array and flexible electrode array fer neural interface were fabricated. A chemical thinning technique has been developed to realize flexible silicon chip. To combine these techniques will result in a realization of truly flexible sensing modules. which are suitable for many medical applications.

• Journal of Semiconductor Engineering
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.88-98
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• 2020

As biosensors are widely used in the medical field, flexible devices compatible with live animals have aroused great interest. Especially, significant research has been carried out to develop implantable or skin-attachable devices for real-time bio-signal sensing. From the device point of view, various biosensor types such as field-effect transistors (FETs) and multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) have been reported as diverse sensing strategies. In particular, the flexible FETs and MEAs allow semiconductor engineering to expand its application, which had been impossible with stiff devices and materials. This review summarizes the state-of-the-art research on flexible FET and MEA biosensors focusing on their materials, structures, sensing targets, and methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.941-942
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• 2010