Technology Guide Principles – Applications – Trends - hhimawan

� Retina implant system. Left: Energy and data are transmitted
by a coil to the electronic part of an implant that is located in an
artificial lens. According to the data received, stimulation pulses
are generated that reach the stimulation electrodes via a microcable.
Right: Artificial lens containing the electronic components.
On the left­hand side, a thin polyimide foil is visible supporting
the stimulation electrodes. A microcable electrically connects the
electronic components with the stimulation electrodes. Source:
Wilfried Mokwa, RWTH Aachen
tric field. The strength of the force relates to the particle’s
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can be used for the adjustment of particles.
7 Medical technology.
Instruments for minimally
invasive surgery are the most common microsystems
used in the field of medical technology. Various electrical,
optical, mechanical, sensory and other functions
are integrated in a small space. These tiny tools are applied
in operations on very sensitive areas of the body,
such as the brain. It is already possible to insert every
type of diagnosis and operation instrument into the
brain through one single working channel – the
“trocar”. Trocars are inserted into natural orifices or
very small body incisions and only therefore cause
ex tremely minimal traumata.
Other microsystems are used in the field of health
surveillance. Small sensors are placed into or onto the
bodies of patients in order to continuously measure
blood pressure, intraocular pressure or glucose levels,
and to transfer this data to the physician via telemetric
systems. In the future, microsystems will increasingly
be used in the medical field to help disabled people.
Implants will help blind people with degenerated
photo receptors – e. g. Retinitis Pigmentosa patients –
to recover their vision. If their optic nerve and retinal
ganglion cells are still working, visual sensations may
be restored by electrical stimulation of the retinal ganglion
cells using an implantable microelectrode array
placed onto the retina inside the eye. A retina implant
system like this records visual images recorded by a
camera integrated in a pair of glasses. The images are
transformed by a signal processor into the corresponding
data required to stimulate the retinal ganglion
cells. This data, together with the energy required, is
transmitted via an inductive link to the receiver unit of
the intraocular implant. The integrated circuitry of
this unit decodes the signals and transfers the data to
stimulation circuitry that selects stimulation electrodes
placed onto the retina and generates current
pulses to these electrodes. By doing this, action potentials
in retinal ganglion cells are evoked, which reach
transmitter coil receiver chip
receiver coil
stimulation chip
from transmitter unit
micro cable
retina tack
stimulation
electrodes
the visual cortex via the optic nerve causing a visual
sensation. Microsystems like these were implanted
into six legally blind patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa
for a period of four weeks. All patients reported visual
sensations such as dots, arcs, or lines of different
colours and intensities.
Prospects
5 MST is an enabling technology which has a groundbreaking
and integrating influence on many areas
of application like the automotive, medicine,
machinery and information technology sectors.
Essentially, MST integrates devices based on different
technologies into miniaturised and reliable
systems.
5 The main areas of application for MST are the automotive,
medicine and machinery sectors. In the
future, microsystems will be increasingly used in
applications such as consumer electronics and biotechnology.
5 Smart systems integration: microsystems are currently
integrated in many areas of application such
as the automotive, medical applications, machinery
and information technology sectors. In the future,
microsystems will become more advanced and
develop into smart systems. Future smart systems
will possess their own “senses”, and incorporate
wireless networking and self-diagnosis. They will
be energy autonomous, and capable of communicating
and making decisions. Smart systems will
be able to interact with each other and react sensitively
to their environment. Generally speaking,
smart systems will need cognitive qualities, integrated
in highly miniaturised systems.
Dr. Lars Heinze
Bernhard Wybranski
Lutz-Günter John
Dr. Gabi Fernholz
VDI/VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH, Berlin
Internet
5
www.mstnews.de
5 http://cordis.europa.eu/
fp7/ict/micro­nanosystems/
home_en.html
5 www.smart­systemsintegra
tion.org/public
5
www.bmbf.de/en/5701.php
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