Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use
(1) Background: In this study, we introduce a manufacturable 32-channel cochlear electrode array. In contrast to conventional cochlear electrode arrays manufactured by manual processes that consist of electrode-wire welding, the placement of each electrode, and silicone molding over wired structures...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-06-01
|
| Series: | Micromachines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/7/778 |
| _version_ | 1827688346002915328 |
|---|---|
| author | Soowon Shin Yoonhee Ha Gwangjin Choi Junewoo Hyun Sangwoo Kim Seung-Ha Oh Kyou-Sik Min |
| author_facet | Soowon Shin Yoonhee Ha Gwangjin Choi Junewoo Hyun Sangwoo Kim Seung-Ha Oh Kyou-Sik Min |
| author_sort | Soowon Shin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | (1) Background: In this study, we introduce a manufacturable 32-channel cochlear electrode array. In contrast to conventional cochlear electrode arrays manufactured by manual processes that consist of electrode-wire welding, the placement of each electrode, and silicone molding over wired structures, the proposed cochlear electrode array is manufactured by semi-automated laser micro-structuring and a mass-produced layer-by-layer silicone deposition scheme similar to the semiconductor fabrication process. (2) Methods: The proposed 32-channel electrode array has 32 electrode contacts with a length of 24 mm and 0.75 mm spacing between contacts. The width of the electrode array is 0.45 mm at its apex and 0.8 mm at its base, and it has a three-layered arrangement consisting of a 32-channel electrode layer and two 16-lead wire layers. To assess its feasibility, we conducted an electrochemical evaluation, stiffness measurements, and insertion force measurements. (3) Results: The electrochemical impedance and charge storage capacity are 3.11 ± 0.89 kOhm at 1 kHz and 5.09 mC/cm<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively. The V/H ratio, which indicates how large the vertical stiffness is compared to the horizontal stiffness, is 1.26. The insertion force is 17.4 mN at 8 mm from the round window, and the maximum extraction force is 61.4 mN. (4) Conclusions: The results of the preliminary feasibility assessment of the proposed 32-channel cochlear electrode array are presented. After further assessments are performed, a 32-channel cochlear implant system consisting of the proposed 32-channel electrode array, 32-channel neural stimulation and recording IC, titanium-based hermetic package, and sound processor with wireless power and signal transmission coil will be completed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:53:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2a0b2495d99542e98cecbd06e2222eb2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:53:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-2a0b2495d99542e98cecbd06e2222eb22023-11-22T02:30:16ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2021-06-0112777810.3390/mi12070778Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical UseSoowon Shin0Yoonhee Ha1Gwangjin Choi2Junewoo Hyun3Sangwoo Kim4Seung-Ha Oh5Kyou-Sik Min6TODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, KoreaTODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, KoreaTODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, KoreaTODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, KoreaTODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, KoreaDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul 03080, KoreaTODOC Co., Ltd., Seoul 08394, Korea(1) Background: In this study, we introduce a manufacturable 32-channel cochlear electrode array. In contrast to conventional cochlear electrode arrays manufactured by manual processes that consist of electrode-wire welding, the placement of each electrode, and silicone molding over wired structures, the proposed cochlear electrode array is manufactured by semi-automated laser micro-structuring and a mass-produced layer-by-layer silicone deposition scheme similar to the semiconductor fabrication process. (2) Methods: The proposed 32-channel electrode array has 32 electrode contacts with a length of 24 mm and 0.75 mm spacing between contacts. The width of the electrode array is 0.45 mm at its apex and 0.8 mm at its base, and it has a three-layered arrangement consisting of a 32-channel electrode layer and two 16-lead wire layers. To assess its feasibility, we conducted an electrochemical evaluation, stiffness measurements, and insertion force measurements. (3) Results: The electrochemical impedance and charge storage capacity are 3.11 ± 0.89 kOhm at 1 kHz and 5.09 mC/cm<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msup><mrow></mrow><mn>2</mn></msup></semantics></math></inline-formula>, respectively. The V/H ratio, which indicates how large the vertical stiffness is compared to the horizontal stiffness, is 1.26. The insertion force is 17.4 mN at 8 mm from the round window, and the maximum extraction force is 61.4 mN. (4) Conclusions: The results of the preliminary feasibility assessment of the proposed 32-channel cochlear electrode array are presented. After further assessments are performed, a 32-channel cochlear implant system consisting of the proposed 32-channel electrode array, 32-channel neural stimulation and recording IC, titanium-based hermetic package, and sound processor with wireless power and signal transmission coil will be completed.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/7/778cochlear implantimplantable neural interfacecochlear electrode array |
| spellingShingle | Soowon Shin Yoonhee Ha Gwangjin Choi Junewoo Hyun Sangwoo Kim Seung-Ha Oh Kyou-Sik Min Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use Micromachines cochlear implant implantable neural interface cochlear electrode array |
| title | Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use |
| title_full | Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use |
| title_fullStr | Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use |
| title_short | Manufacturable 32-Channel Cochlear Electrode Array and Preliminary Assessment of Its Feasibility for Clinical Use |
| title_sort | manufacturable 32 channel cochlear electrode array and preliminary assessment of its feasibility for clinical use |
| topic | cochlear implant implantable neural interface cochlear electrode array |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/7/778 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT soowonshin manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT yoonheeha manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT gwangjinchoi manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT junewoohyun manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT sangwookim manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT seunghaoh manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse AT kyousikmin manufacturable32channelcochlearelectrodearrayandpreliminaryassessmentofitsfeasibilityforclinicaluse |