Flexible neural probes
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorShu-Jen Han
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments include microelectrodes including a flexible shank and a bioabsorbable material surrounding the flexible shank. The flexible shank can include a flexible substrate, a circuit, and a plurality of sensors. Embodiments also include a methods of forming flexible active electrode arrays including depositing a flexible polymer on a substrate. The methods also include forming a plurality of sensors on the flexible polymer and attaching a silicon-based chip to the flexible shank. The methods also include coating the flexible shank in a bioabsorbable material and cutting the shank and a portion of the bioabsorbable material from the substrate.
Claims17
A neural probe comprising:
- a plurality of flexible active electrode shanks arranged in an array, each flexible active electrode shank of the plurality comprising:
- an end chip adjacent to a top end of the respective shank;
- and
- a flexible substrate having an elongated body and comprising:
- two or more routing circuits alternating with two or more sensor circuits such that a first routing circuit of the two or more routing circuits is positioned between the top end of the shank and a first end of a first sensor circuit of the two or more sensor circuits, a second routing circuit of the two or more routing circuits is positioned at a second end of the first sensor circuit, and a second sensor circuit of the two or more sensor circuits is positioned at a first end of the second routing circuit;
- a first plurality of sensor pixels within the elongated body of the flexible substrate, wherein each of the first plurality of sensor pixels comprises a first built-in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit and a sensor or an electrode in communication with the first built-in CMOS circuit, wherein each of the first plurality of sensor pixels is attached to the first sensor circuit by a sensor wire;
- wherein the first built-in CMOS circuit comprises a gate formed on a surface of the flexible substrate, a gate dielectric layer formed on a surface of the gate, an aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) layer formed on a surface of the gate dielectric layer and the surface of the flexible substrate and a carbon nanotube channel formed on a surface of the APTES layer;
- a second plurality of sensor pixels within the elongated body of the flexible substrate, wherein each of the second plurality of sensor pixels comprises a second built-in CMOS circuit and a sensor or an electrode in communication with the second built-in CMOS circuit comprising carbon nanotubes as channel materials, and wherein each of the second plurality of sensor pixels is attached to the second sensor circuit by a sensor wire;
- and
- a bioabsorbable material surrounding the elongated body of the flexible substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.