Batch-fabricated thin-film electrodes for stimulation of the central auditory system.
Silicon micromachining and thin-film technology have been employed to fabricate iridium stimulating arrays which can be used to excite discrete volumes of the central nervous system. Silicon multichannel probes with thicknesses ranging from 1 to 40 microns and arbitrary two-dimensional shapes can be fabricated using a high-yield, circuit-compatible process. Iridium stimulating sites are shown to have similar characteristics to iridium wire electrodes. Accelerated pulse testing with over 8 million 100 microA biphasic current pulses on 8000 microns 2 sites has demonstrated the long-term stability of iridium and activated iridium sites. In vivo tests have been performed in the central auditory pathways to demonstrate neural activation using the devices. These tests show a selective activation both as a function of site separation and site size.
Anderson
D J
DJ
Najafi
K
K
Tanghe
S J
SJ
Evans
D A
DA
Levy
K L
KL
Hetke
J F
JF
Xue
X L
XL
Zappia
J J
JJ
Wise
K D
KD
D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007495:Iridium; D008422:Materials Testing; D008839:Microelectrodes; D012825:Silicon
D007495:Iridium; D012825:Silicon