A silicon probe with integrated microheaters for thermal marking and monitoring of neural tissue.
This paper describes a microheater structure and its integration on a silicon microprobe. The 30-micron-diameter microstructure can be used to heat local areas of tissue or to measure local tissue temperature with an accuracy of < 0.3 degree C. The polysilicon microheater is suspended on a dielectric membrane to reduce undesired heat conduction to the probe substrate. The heating efficiency is 4.4 degrees C/mW in still water and 2.2 degrees C/mW in guinea pig cortex. Six milliwatts applied for 2 min in cortex produces a temperature of 50 degrees C, creating a well-defined 50-micron-wide lesion for determining probe position histologically. Fabrication of the heaters requires no additional masking or processing steps in addition to those normally used for recording or stimulating probes.
Chen
J
J
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-2122, USA.
Wise
K D
KD
D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001831:Body Temperature; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D004566:Electrodes; D004867:Equipment Design; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation; D009417:Nerve Tissue; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012825:Silicon
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D012825:Silicon