IMEC DEVELOPS DESIGN FOR DEEP-BRAIN-STIMULATION IMPLANT

摘要

IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Center) revealed a design strategy for brain-stimulation implants at the recent DATE (Design, Automation, and Test in Europe) conference in Nice, France. IMEC researchers claim to have created a prototype multielec-trode stimulation-and-recording probe for deep-brain stimulation, which could hold promise for medical treatment of Parkinson's disease. "To have a more precise stimulation and recording, we need electrodes that are as small as individual brain cells," says Wolfgang Eberle, senior scientist and project manager at IMEC's bioelectronics research group. "Such small electrodes can be made with semiconductor-process techrnnology, appropriate design tools, and advanced electronic-signal processing."