An all-diamond, hermetic electrical feedthrough array for a retinal prosthesis

Abstract

The interface between medical implants and the human nervous system is rapidly becoming more and more complex. This rise in complexity is driving the need for increasing numbers of densely packed electrical feedthroughto carry signals to and from implanted devices. This is particularly crucial in the field of neural prosthesis where high resolution stimulating or recording arrays near peripheral nerves or in the brain could dramatically improve the performance of these devices. Here we describe a flexible strategy for implementing high density, high count arrays of hermetic electrical feedthroughs by forming conducting nitrogen doped nanocrystalline diamond channels within an insulating poly..