POEMS (Polymeric Opto-Electro-Mechanical Systems) for advanced neural interfaces

• Published in: Materials letters 2021-02, Vol.285, p.129015, Article 129015
• Main Authors: Kampasi, Komal, Ladner, Ian, Zhou, Jenny, Calónico Soto, Alicia, Hernandez, Jose, Patra, Susant, Haque, Razi-ul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: flexible optoelectronics; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Mechanical systems; Neural interfaces; Neural prostheses; optical interconnects; Optoelectronics; polymer waveguides; polymer waveguides, optical interconnects; Polymers; Thin films; Transplants & implants
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2020.129015

[Display omitted] •Novel hybrid polymers offer material advantages of both organic and inorganic materials.•Hybrid polymer-based waveguiding is efficient and minimally invasive.•"Optical wirebonds" enhance optical coupling between on- and off-chip components.•Optoelectronic implants fabricated from hybrid polymers are compact, low-weight and low-loss. There has been a growing interest in optical implants which is driven by the need for improvements in spatial precision, real-time monitoring, and reduced invasiveness. Here, we present unique microfabrication and packaging techniques to build implantable optoelectronics with high precision and spatial complexity. Material characterization of our hybrid polymers shows minimal in vitro degradation, greater flexibility, and lowest optical loss (4.04–4.4 dB/cm at 670 nm) among other polymers reported in prior studies. We use the developed methods to build Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) first ultra-compact, lightweight (0.38 g), scalable and minimally invasive thin-film optoelectronic neural implant that can be used for chronic studies of brain activities. The paper concludes by summarizing the progress to date and discussing future opportunities for flexible optoelectronic interfaces in next generation clinical applications.