Fabrication and in vivo demonstration of microchip-embedded smart electrode device for neural stimulation in retinal prosthesis

A smart electrode device for use as a retinal prosthesis was fabricated and demonstrated. As a dedicated CMOS microchip is embedded in the smart electrode, each electrode on the electrode array works as an active component individually. Operation of the smart electrode, such as selecting target electrodes and adjusting the stimulus intensity, can be controlled by external control signals from bus wirings. A smart electrode array for an animal experiment was specially designed to proof the stimulus function of the smart electrode. An in vivo demonstration using the fabricated electrode was successfully performed. Brain activation was observed as a response to retinal stimulation.