Hermetic Nanowire Interconnects for Neural Prostheses

描述（由申请人提供）：植入式微电子器械越来越多地被接受为各种疾病的治疗选择，包括：耳聋、运动障碍和尿失禁。这些器械由封装在生物相容性保护包装内的微电子组件组成。被称为互连的电导体穿透包裹以允许刺激和记录神经元。目前的设备，如人工耳蜗，有22个连接。相比之下，正在开发的视觉和皮质假体可能需要数百个电极，每个电极都有自己的互连，以满足患者的需求。现有技术水平的可植入电子互连不能满足这些要求。用于可植入微电子器件的互连技术的进步受到合适的制造工艺的可用性的限制。我们建议开发一种密封的，生物相容的微电子封装，其中包括一个互连基板的基础上嵌入在纳米多孔氧化铝的电沉积铂纳米线阵列。我们的初步结果表明纳米线互连阵列（NIA）是密封的。这种气密性是将沉积限制在纳米长度尺度的独特性质和直接结果。相比之下，电沉积不能完全填充微米级孔隙。因此，这种纳米技术是一种将电子器件与神经组织连接的新方法。该研究计划主要集中在该技术的两个最具挑战性的方面：1）坚固和可重复的NIA制造和2）将NIA连接到密封封装。除这两项活动外，还将进行初始系统试验和生物相容性评估。将使用氦气泄漏试验评估气密性。将使用标准钎焊方法将NIA连接到密封封装。加速浸泡试验将用于预测包装寿命。将使用标准和定制试验进行初始生物相容性研究。 神经系统疾病带来了困难的医疗问题，因为受损的神经元即使能痊愈也不会很好。眼睛的感觉神经疾病，如年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）和视网膜色素变性（RP），是视网膜失明的主要原因。RP的发病率为1/4000活产婴儿，每年有200，000只眼睛因AMD失明。每年有10万人因中风或脊髓损伤等原因瘫痪。帕金森病、原发性震颤、癫痫和慢性疼痛等疾病是对公共卫生有重大负面影响的其他神经系统疾病。神经假体有可能通过电刺激神经来治疗这些疾病。拟议的研究计划将推进支持未来神经假体系统的关键技术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Implantable microelectronic devices are becoming increasingly accepted as treatment options for a variety of disorders including: deafness, movement disorders, and urinary incontinence. These devices consist of microelectronic components housed inside of a biocompatible protective package. Electrical conductors called interconnects, penetrate through the package to allow stimulation and recording of neurons. Present-day devices like the cochlear implant have 22 interconnects. In contrast, visual and cortical prostheses under development may require hundreds of electrodes, each with its own interconnect, to meet the needs of patients. State of the art implantable electronic interconnects cannot meet these requirements. Advancement of interconnect technology for implantable microelectronics is limited by the availability of suitable fabrication processes. We propose to develop a hermetic, biocompatible microelectronics package that incorporates an interconnect substrate based on arrays of electrodeposited platinum nanowires embedded in nanoporous aluminum oxide. Our preliminary results suggest that the nanowire interconnect array (NIA) is hermetic. This hermeticity is a unique property and direct result of restricting the deposition to nanometer length scales. In contrast, electrodeposition does not fill micron scale pores completely. Thus, this nanotechnology is a novel method for interfacing electronics with neural tissue. The research plan places primary focus on the two most challenging aspects of the technology: 1) robust and repeatable NIA fabrication and 2) joining the NIA to a hermetic package. In addition to these two activities, initial system test and biocompatibility assessments will be performed. Helium leak testing will be used to assess hermeticity. Standard brazing methods will be used to join the NIA to a hermetic package. Accelerated soak testing will be used to predict package lifetime. Initial biocompatibility studies will be done using standard and custom tests. Neurological disorders pose difficult medical problems, since damaged neurons do not heal well if at all. Neurosensory diseases of the eye, like age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), are leading causes of retinal blindness. RP has an incidence of 1/4000 live births and AMD blinds 200,000 eyes each year. Paralysis afflicts 100,000s each year through stroke or spinal cord injury, among other causes. Disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, epilepsy, and chronic pain are other neurological diseases that have a significant and negative impact on public health. Neural prostheses have the potential to treat these disorders through electrical stimulation of nerves. The proposed research plan would advance a key technology in support of future neural prosthetic systems.