BIOMAT Database Logo BIOMAT Database Logo

Design, Fabrication, and Evaluation of a Parylene Thin-Film Electrode Array for Cochlear Implants. 2019

Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You

To improve the existing manually assembled cochlear implant electrode arrays, a thin-film electrode array (TFEA) was microfabricated having a maximum electrode density of 15 sites along an 8-mm length, with each site having a 75 μm × 1.8 μm (diameter × height) disk electrode. The microfabrication method adopted photoresist transferring, lift-off, two-step oxygen plasma etching, and fuming nitric acid release to reduce lift-off complexity, protect the metal layer, and increase the release efficiency. Systematic in vitro characterization showed that the TFEA's bending stiffness was 6.40 × 10-10 N·m2 near the base and 1.26 × 10-10 N·m2 near the apex. The TFEA electrode produced an average impedance of 16 kΩ and a maximum current limit of 800 μA, measured with 1-kHz sinusoidal current using monopolar stimulation in saline. A TFEA prototype was implanted in a cat cochlea to obtain in vivo measurements of electrically evoked auditory brainstem and inferior colliculus responses to monopolar stimulation with 41-μs/phase biphasic pulses. Both physiological responses produced a threshold of ∼300 μA and a dynamic range of 5-8 dB above the threshold. Compared with existing arrays, the present TFEA had 104 times less bending stiffness, 97% less electrode area, and comparable physiological thresholds. Using a simplified structure and stable fabrication method, the present TEFA produced physical and physiological performance comparable to existing commercial devices. The present TFEA represents a step closer toward an automated process replacing the labor-intensive and expensive manual assembly of the cochlear implant electrode arrays.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011108 Polymers Compounds formed by the joining of smaller, usually repeating, units linked by covalent bonds. These compounds often form large macromolecules (e.g., BIOPOLYMERS; PLASTICS). Polymer
D011474 Prosthesis Design The plan and delineation of prostheses in general or a specific prosthesis. Design, Prosthesis,Designs, Prosthesis,Prosthesis Designs
D002415 Cats The domestic cat, Felis catus, of the carnivore family FELIDAE, comprising over 30 different breeds. The domestic cat is descended primarily from the wild cat of Africa and extreme southwestern Asia. Though probably present in towns in Palestine as long ago as 7000 years, actual domestication occurred in Egypt about 4000 years ago. (From Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th ed, p801) Felis catus,Felis domesticus,Domestic Cats,Felis domestica,Felis sylvestris catus,Cat,Cat, Domestic,Cats, Domestic,Domestic Cat
D003051 Cochlea The part of the inner ear (LABYRINTH) that is concerned with hearing. It forms the anterior part of the labyrinth, as a snail-like structure that is situated almost horizontally anterior to the VESTIBULAR LABYRINTH. Cochleas
D003054 Cochlear Implants Electronic hearing devices typically used for patients with normal outer and middle ear function, but defective inner ear function. In the COCHLEA, the hair cells (HAIR CELLS, VESTIBULAR) may be absent or damaged but there are residual nerve fibers. The device electrically stimulates the COCHLEAR NERVE to create sound sensation. Auditory Prosthesis,Cochlear Prosthesis,Implants, Cochlear,Auditory Prostheses,Cochlear Implant,Cochlear Prostheses,Implant, Cochlear,Prostheses, Auditory,Prostheses, Cochlear,Prosthesis, Auditory,Prosthesis, Cochlear
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001307 Auditory Perception The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism. Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory
D014992 Xylenes A family of isomeric, colorless aromatic hydrocarbon liquids, that contain the general formula C6H4(CH3)2. They are produced by the destructive distillation of coal or by the catalytic reforming of petroleum naphthenic fractions. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 5th ed) Dimethylbenzenes,Xylene
D017097 Electric Impedance The resistance to the flow of either alternating or direct electrical current. Bioelectrical Impedance,Electric Resistance,Impedance,Ohmic Resistance,Biolectric Impedance,Electrical Impedance,Electrical Resistance,Impedance, Bioelectrical,Impedance, Biolectric,Impedance, Electric,Impedance, Electrical,Ohmic Resistances,Resistance, Electric,Resistance, Electrical,Resistance, Ohmic,Resistances, Ohmic
D019929 Cochlear Implantation Surgical insertion of an electronic hearing device (COCHLEAR IMPLANTS) with electrodes to the COCHLEAR NERVE in the inner ear to create sound sensation in patients with residual nerve fibers. Cochlear Prosthesis Implantation,Cochlear Implantations,Cochlear Prosthesis Implantations,Implantation, Cochlear,Implantation, Cochlear Prosthesis,Implantations, Cochlear,Implantations, Cochlear Prosthesis,Prosthesis Implantation, Cochlear,Prosthesis Implantations, Cochlear

Related Publications

Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
A parylene-silicon cochlear electrode array with integrated position sensors.
January 2006, Conference proceedings : ... Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Annual Conference,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Fabrication of Parylene-Coated Microneedle Array Electrode for Wearable ECG Device.
September 2020, Sensors (Basel, Switzerland),
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Thin-film electrode fabrication techniques.
January 1983, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Fabrication and evaluation of an improved polymer-based cochlear electrode array for atraumatic insertion.
April 2015, Biomedical microdevices,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Cochlear implantation using thin-film array electrodes.
June 2011, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Fabrication of Convex PDMS-Parylene Microstructures for Conformal Contact of Planar Micro-Electrode Array.
September 2019, Polymers,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Fabrication of a dual-tier thin film micropolarization array.
April 2007, Optics express,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Design and characterisation of a thin-film electrode array with shared reference/counter electrodes for electrochemical detection.
July 2014, Biosensors & bioelectronics,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Design and fabrication of the banded electrode array.
January 1983, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
Yuchen Xu, and Chuan Luo, and Fan-Gang Zeng, and John C Middlebrooks, and Harrison W Lin, and Zheng You
Cochlear Implant Electrode Array Design and Speech Understanding.
December 2023, Otology & neurotology : official publication of the American Otological Society, American Neurotology Society [and] European Academy of Otology and Neurotology,
Copied contents to your clipboard!