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Labor/Institute
- BIOMEMS Lab (2)
Keywords
- Energy-Harvesting (1)
- Fusion Bonding (1)
- In Vitro, Ultrasound, Neuromodulation, Neuron (1)
- Micro-Heater (1)
- Mikrosystemtechnik (1)
- Nervenstimulation (1)
- SU-8 (1)
- Teflon-FEP (1)
- Ultraschall (1)
Year of publication
- 2017 (2) (remove)
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- Other (2) (remove)
Language
- English (2)
Has Fulltext
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MEMS-based Micro-Heaters, in combination with thin-film temperature sensors, are often used for providing the necessary amount of thermal energy for sensor-applications. In this work, we propose an integrated micro-heater as actuator for fusion bonding of polymers, which can optimize the production process of electret-based micro-energy-harvesters. By adjusting the design parameters of thermoforming-molds, we can implement thin-film micro-heaters that are capable of generating temperatures of above 300°C for numerous cycles. Utilizing the integrated micro-heater allows local fusion bonding of Fluoroethylenepropylene (Teflon-FEP) foils on a micrometer-scale while reducing unnecessary thermal stress. This is beneficial for the longevity of the micro-energy-harvesters, while simultaneously improving its performance.
In Vitro Platform for Acoustic and Electrophysiological Investigations of Ultrasound Neuromodulation
(2017)
The quality of life has increased dramatically over the past decades. Approximately one billion individuals worldwide will be aged 65 years or older by 2030. With the increasing age of human population, prevalence of neurodegenerative ailments, such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, increases. Brain pacemakers are proposed to treat their symptoms. They provide the electrical stimulation of neuronal regions of the central or peripheral nervous system. But for the implantation of brain pacemakers, surgery is needed. Those surgical interventions can be avoided by using transcranial stimulation methods such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). However, magnetic fields lack the possibility of focusing. Ultrasound (US) offers transcranial characteristics as well and allows focusing on a specific target area in the brain. Over 60 years ago, the Hodgkin-Huxley (H-H) model was presented to simulate the electrophysiological activity of neurons but it lacks to describe the impact of mechanical soundwaves on action potentials in a neuron.