Micro/nano technologies for high-density retinal implant

Abstract

During the past decades, there have been leaps in the development of micro/nano retinal implant technologies, which is one of the emerging applications in neural interfaces to restore vision. However, higher feedthroughs within a limited space are needed for more complex electronic systems and precise neural modulations. Active implantable medical electronics are required to have good electrical and mechanical properties, such as being small, light, and biocompatible, and with low power consumption and minimal immunological reactions during long-term implantation. For this purpose, high-density implantable packaging and flexible microelectrode arrays (fMEAs) as well as high-performance coating materials for retinal stimulation are crucial to achieve high resolution. In this review, we mainly focus on the considerations of the high-feedthrough encapsulation of implantable biomedical components to prolong working life, and fMEAs for different implant sites to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted retinal neuron cells. In addition, the functional electrode materials to achieve superior stimulation efficiency are also reviewed. The existing challenge and future research directions of micro/nano technologies for retinal implant are briefly discussed at the end of the review.