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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter October 5, 2013

Approaches for drug delivery with intracortical probes

  • Sven Spieth EMAIL logo , Axel Schumacher , Fabian Trenkle , Olivia Brett , Karsten Seidl , Stanislav Herwik , Sebastian Kisban , Patrick Ruther , Oliver Paul , Arno A.A. Aarts , Hercules P. Neves , P. Dylan Rich , David E. Theobald , Tahl Holtzman , Jeffrey W. Dalley , Bram-Ernst Verhoef , Peter Janssen and Roland Zengerle

Abstract

Intracortical microprobes allow the precise monitoring of electrical and chemical signaling and are widely used in neuroscience. Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technologies have greatly enhanced the integration of multifunctional probes by facilitating the combination of multiple recording electrodes and drug delivery channels in a single probe. Depending on the neuroscientific application, various assembly strategies are required in addition to the microprobe fabrication itself. This paper summarizes recent advances in the fabrication and assembly of micromachined silicon probes for drug delivery achieved within the EU-funded research project NeuroProbes. The described fabrication process combines a two-wafer silicon bonding process with deep reactive ion etching, wafer grinding, and thin film patterning and offers a maximum in design flexibility. By applying this process, three general comb-like microprobe designs featuring up to four 8-mm-long shafts, cross sections from 150×200 to 250×250 µm², and different electrode and fluidic channel configurations are realized. Furthermore, we discuss the development and application of different probe assemblies for acute, semichronic, and chronic applications, including comb and array assemblies, floating microprobe arrays, as well as the complete drug delivery system NeuroMedicator for small animal research.


Corresponding author: Sven Spieth, Institut für Mikro- und Informationstechnik der Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft e.V., Wilhelm-Schickard-Str. 10, D-78052 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany, Phone: +49-7721-943-241, Fax: +49-7721-943-210, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

This work was performed in the frame of the Information Society Technologies (IST) Integrated Project NeuroProbes of the 6th Framework Program (FP6) of the European Commission (Project number IST-027017). The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the cleanroom and machine shop facilities at HSG-IMIT, IMTEK, and IMEC. Furthermore, the authors would like to thank all staff members of the involved institutions who supported the presented work. The provision of microspheres from Expancel, Sundsvall, Sweden, TPE films from KRAIBURG TPE GmbH & Co. KG, Waldkraiburg, Germany, and COP plates from Zeon Europe GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany, is gratefully acknowledged.

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Received: 2013-3-31
Accepted: 2013-8-21
Published Online: 2013-10-5
Published in Print: 2014-8-1

©2014 by De Gruyter

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