用于视觉修复的视网膜下植入微芯片

Subretinal implanting micro-chips for vision prosthesis

为治疗由视网膜光感受器退化引起的失明,研制了一种可以满足视网膜下植入要求的光电刺激器件--硅基PIN光电探测器阵列结构微芯片,这种电刺激芯片可以在一定程度上代替因疾病受损的光感受细胞,向位于光感受细胞之后、尚未损伤的其他视网膜细胞发出电刺激,从而引发视神经的视觉冲动.微芯片制作采用了硅、硅氧化物以及金等生物相容性较好的材料.在微芯片上利用半导体工艺刻蚀隔离槽,形成一个探测器面阵,面阵上的每个探测器单元可以根据照射在其上的光强大小产生相应的刺激电流.对制作的芯片进行了生物相容性、伏安特性、响应度以及光谱特性的测量,结果表明,芯片在眼睛安全用光的范围内可以产生足够强度的刺激电流,满足动物植入实验的要求.

To resume blindness caused by degeneration of photoreeeptor cells, a subretinal implantable micro chip, silicon based PIN photo detector army, was developed. This chip can replace damaged photoreeeptor cells to a certain extent. It can stimulate the survival retinal cells and excite the high-level vision nerve. The micro chip was fabricated with silicon, silicon dioxide and gold. Semiconductor process was used to erode isolating channels, which formed a photo detector army. Every subunit on the array can generate current in response to the intensity of the incident light. Biologic compatibility, voltage-current characteristic and responsibility-spectrum characteristic were tested. Results show that the micro chip can generate enough stimulating current with the incident light in the safety range of human eyes, which can meet the demands of animal implantation tests.