Fabrication of an Implantable Micro-pressure Sensor to Measure Deviation Within the Cochlea

• Main Authors: Leonardo Perez, Robert Puers, Bart Volckaerts
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia 2013-06-01
• Series: Publicaciones e Investigación
• Subjects: Cochlear implant; MEMS sensor; SU8 material; Intra-cochlear trauma
• Online Access: http://hemeroteca.unad.edu.co/index.php/publicaciones-e-investigacion/article/view/1102

<p align="left">The Cochlear Implant is broadly worn by people with deep hearing damage. This device makes up an electrode array to electrically stimulate the auditory nerves. When the electrode is implanted into the inner ear by surgery, the scala tympani is ill-treated due to the strong pressure applied on the internal ear structures. To minimize this intra-cochlear trauma, it is proposed to fabricate a micro pressure-sensor and built it in the electrode array, in such a way that the pressure applied by the electrode is measured. This work selected the MEMS SU-8 Fabry-Perot interferometer-based pressure sensor. This paper describes the sensor fabrication process carried out, and explains how to integrate this sensor with the electrode array.</p>