Current Mode Communication Scheme for Subretinal Implants with 8mV RMS Wire Potential

摘要

Corrosion and migration effects can limit the lifetime of neural implants. Advanced and especially thicker encapsulation can increase longevity, but for retinal implants these possibilities are limited by mechanical constraints. Thorough optimization can only be achieved when the signaling schemes for exposed wires are also taken into consideration. To meet these requirements, we have implemented a current-mode communication scheme, that helps optimizing the distribution of insulation structures by combining clock and data on one wire and that reduces migration effects by reducing the wire potential to 8 mV RMS, with peak voltages below 45 mV.