CAREER: A Biomimetic Microsystems Technology towards a Novel Retinal Prosthesis

0449352sagger申请人建议在视网膜假体领域进行研究，以帮助受退行性光感受器疾病影响的人。与迄今为止开发的大多数其他视网膜假体相比，PI提出了一种仿生方法，使用基于化学的界面而不是电子界面来刺激神经元。他建议开发一种微系统，可以局部分配储存的神经递质来刺激神经元，微系统完全由自然进入眼睛的光线供电。该方法解决了电刺激视网膜假体的电力问题，以及这些设备中电化学反应的问题，溶解了互连结构和电线。根据PI的说法，与研究电刺激植入物的大型财团（例如在美国和德国）相比，目前只有两个团体在考虑化学刺激。所提出的假体包括一组光激活微流体分配器，该分配器包含用于发电的太阳能电池、用于流体分配的压电致动器、用于神经递质的流体腔和用于其局部分配的端口。PI已经进行了初步工作，表明太阳能电池可以产生足够的功率来驱动致动器，展示了点胶工艺的可行性，并研究了合适的致动和检测机构。

0449352SaggereThe applicant proposes research in the area of retinal prosthesis to assist people affected by degenerative photoreceptor diseases. In contrast to most other retinal prosthesis developed so far, the PI proposes a biomimetic approach using a chemical-based interface instead of an electrical interface to stimulate neurons. He proposes to develop a microsystem, which can locally dispense stored neurotransmitters to stimulate the neurons, with the microsystem being fully powered by the light naturally entering the eye. The proposed approach circumvents power issues in retina prosthesis with electrical stimulation and problems with electrochemical reactions in these devices, dissolving interconnect structures and wires. Compared to the large consortia working on implants with electrical stimulation (e.g. in the US and in Germany), only two groups, according to the PI, are considering currently the chemical stimulation. The proposed prosthesis comprises an array of light activated microfluidic dispensers incorporating solar cells for power generation, piezoelectric actuators for fluid dispensing, fluid chambers for the neurotransmitter and the ports for their local dispensing. The PI has performed preliminary work, indicating that the solar cells can generate sufficient power to drive the actuators, showing the feasibility of the dispensing process, and studying suitable actuation and detection mechanisms.