Autonomous control for mechanically stable navigation of microscale implants in brain tissue to record neural activity.

Emerging neural prosthetics require precise positional tuning and stable interfaces with single neurons for optimal function over a lifetime. In this study, we report an autonomous control to precisely navigate microscale electrodes in soft, viscoelastic brain tissue without visual feedback. The autonomous control optimizes signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of single neuronal recordings in viscoelastic brain tissue while maintaining quasi-static mechanical stress conditions to improve stability of the implant-tissue interface. Force-displacement curves from microelectrodes in in vivo rodent experiments are used to estimate viscoelastic parameters of the brain. Using a combination of computational models and experiments, we determined an optimal movement for the microelectrodes with bidirectional displacements of 3:2 ratio between forward and backward displacements and a inter-movement interval of 40 s for minimizing mechanical stress in the surrounding brain tissue. A regulator with the above optimal bidirectional motion for the microelectrodes in in vivo experiments resulted in significant reduction in the number of microelectrode movements (0.23 movements/min) and longer periods of stable SNR (53 % of the time) compared to a regulator using a conventional linear, unidirectional microelectrode movement (with 1.48 movements/min and stable SNR 23 % of the time).

Packaging and Non-Hermetic Encapsulation Technology for Flip Chip on Implantable MEMS Devices.

We report here a successful demonstration of a flip-chip packaging approach for a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device with in-plane movable microelectrodes implanted in a rodent brain. The flip-chip processes were carried out using a custom-made apparatus that was capable of the following: 1) creating Ag epoxy microbumps for first-level interconnect; 2) aligning the die and the glass substrate; and 3) creating non-hermetic encapsulation (NHE). The completed flip-chip package had an assembled weight of only 0.5 g significantly less than the previously designed wire-bonded package of 4.5 g. The resistance of the Ag bumps was found to be negligible. The MEMS micro-electrodes were successfully tested for its mechanical movement with microactuators generating forces of 450 µN with a displacement resolution of 8.8 µm/step. An NHE on the front edge of the package was created by patterns of hydrophobic silicone microstructures to prevent contamination from cerebrospinal fluid while simultaneously allowing the microelectrodes to move in and out of the package boundary. The breakdown pressure of the NHE was found to be 80 cm of water, which is significantly (4.5-11 times) larger than normal human intracranial pressures. Bench top tests and in vivo tests of the MEMS flip-chip packages for up to 75 days showed reliable NHE for potential long-term implantation.

Electrothermal Microactuators With Peg Drive Improve Performance for Brain Implant Applications.

This paper presents a new actuation scheme for in-plane bidirectional translation of polysilicon microelectrodes. The new Chevron-peg actuation scheme uses microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based electrothermal microactuators to move microelectrodes for brain implant applications. The design changes were motivated by specific needs identified by the in vivo testing of an earlier generation of MEMS microelectrodes that were actuated by the Chevron-latch type of mechanism. The microelectrodes actuated by the Chevron-peg mechanism discussed here show improved performance in the following key areas: higher force generation capability (111 µN per heat strip compared to 50 µN), reduced power consumption (91 mW compared to 360 mW), and reliable performance with consistent forward and backward movements of microelectrodes. Failure analysis of the Chevron-latch and the Chevron-peg type of actuation schemes showed that the latter is more robust to wear over four million cycles of operation. The parameters for the activation waveforms for Chevron-peg actuators were optimized using statistical analysis. Waveforms with a 1-ms time period and a 1-Hz frequency of operation showed minimal error between the expected and the actual movement of the microelectrodes. The new generation of Chevron-peg actuators and microelectrodes are therefore expected to enhance the longevity and performance of implanted microelectrodes in the brain. [2011-0341].

Adaptive movable neural interfaces for monitoring single neurons in the brain.

Implantable microelectrodes that are currently used to monitor neuronal activity in the brain in vivo have serious limitations both in acute and chronic experiments. Movable microelectrodes that adapt their position in the brain to maximize the quality of neuronal recording have been suggested and tried as a potential solution to overcome the challenges with the current fixed implantable microelectrodes. While the results so far suggest that movable microelectrodes improve the quality and stability of neuronal recordings from the brain in vivo, the bulky nature of the technologies involved in making these movable microelectrodes limits the throughput (number of neurons that can be recorded from at any given time) of these implantable devices. Emerging technologies involving the use of microscale motors and electrodes promise to overcome this limitation. This review summarizes some of the most recent efforts in developing movable neural interfaces using microscale technologies that adapt their position in response to changes in the quality of the neuronal recordings. Key gaps in our understanding of the brain-electrode interface are highlighted. Emerging discoveries in these areas will lead to success in the development of a reliable and stable interface with single neurons that will impact basic neurophysiological studies and emerging cortical prosthetic technologies.

Novel First-Level Interconnect Techniques for Flip Chip on MEMS Devices.

Flip-chip packaging is desirable for microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices because it reduces the overall package size and allows scaling up the number of MEMS chips through 3-D stacks. In this report, we demonstrate three novel techniques to create first-level interconnect (FLI) on MEMS: 1) Dip and attach technology for Ag epoxy; 2) Dispense technology for solder paste; 3) Dispense, pull, and attach technology (DPAT) for solder paste. The above techniques required no additional microfabrication steps, produced no visible surface contamination on the MEMS active structures, and generated high-aspect-ratio interconnects. The developed FLIs were successfully tested on MEMS moveable microelectrodes microfabricated by SUMMiTVTM process producing no apparent detrimental effect due to outgassing. The bumping processes were successfully applied on Al-deposited bond pads of 100 µm × 100 µm with an average bump height of 101.3 µm for Ag and 184.8 µm for solder (63Sn, 37Pb). DPAT for solder paste produced bumps with the aspect ratio of 1.8 or more. The average shear strengths of Ag and solder bumps were 78 MPa and 689 kPa, respectively. The electrical test on Ag bumps at 794 A/cm2 demonstrated reliable electrical interconnects with negligible resistance. These scalable FLI technologies are potentially useful for MEMS flip-chip packaging and 3-D stacking.

Long-Term Neural Recordings Using MEMS Based Movable Microelectrodes in the Brain.

One of the critical requirements of the emerging class of neural prosthetic devices is to maintain good quality neural recordings over long time periods. We report here a novel MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) based technology that can move microelectrodes in the event of deterioration in neural signal to sample a new set of neurons. Microscale electro-thermal actuators are used to controllably move microelectrodes post-implantation in steps of approximately 9 mum. In this study, a total of 12 movable microelectrode chips were individually implanted in adult rats. Two of the twelve movable microelectrode chips were not moved over a period of 3 weeks and were treated as control experiments. During the first 3 weeks of implantation, moving the microelectrodes led to an improvement in the average signal to noise ratio (SNR) from 14.61 +/- 5.21 dB before movement to 18.13 +/- 4.99 dB after movement across all microelectrodes and all days. However, the average root-mean-square values of noise amplitudes were similar at 2.98 +/- 1.22 muV and 3.01 +/- 1.16 muV before and after microelectrode movement. Beyond 3 weeks, the primary observed failure mode was biological rejection of the PMMA (dental cement) based skull mount resulting in the device loosening and eventually falling from the skull. Additionally, the average SNR for functioning devices beyond 3 weeks was 11.88 +/- 2.02 dB before microelectrode movement and was significantly different (p < 0.01) from the average SNR of 13.34 +/- 0.919 dB after movement. The results of this study demonstrate that MEMS based technologies can move microelectrodes in rodent brains in long-term experiments resulting in improvements in signal quality. Further improvements in packaging and surgical techniques will potentially enable movable microelectrodes to record cortical neuronal activity in chronic experiments.

Nonhermetic Encapsulation Materials for MEMS-Based Movable Microelectrodes for Long-Term Implantation in the Brain.

In this paper, we have fabricated and tested several composite materials with a mesh matrix, which are used as encapsulation materials for a novel implantable movable-microelectrode microelectromechanical-system (MEMS) device. Since movable microelectrodes extend off the edge of the MEMS chip and penetrate the brain, a hermetically sealed encapsulation was not feasible. An encapsulation material is needed to prevent cerebral-spinal-fluid entry that could cause failure of the MEMS device and, at the same time, allow for penetration by the microelectrodes. Testing of potential encapsulation materials included penetration-force measurements, gross-leak testing, maximum-pressure testing, and biocompatibility testing. Penetration-force tests showed that untreated mesh matrices and silicone-gel-mesh composites required the least amount of force to penetrate for both nylon 6,6 and polypropylene meshes. The silicone-gel-, poly(dimethylsiloxane)-, polyimide-, and fluoroacrylate-mesh composites with the nylon-mesh matrix were all able to withstand pressures above the normal intracranial pressures. Fourier-transform infrared-spectroscopy analysis and visual inspection of the implanted devices encapsulated by the silicone-gel-mesh composite showed that there was no fluid or debris entry at two and four weeks postimplantation. We conclude that a composite of nylon and silicone-gel meshes will meet the needs of the new generation of implantable devices that require nonhermetic encapsulation.