Neuralimplants: The Future of Medical Human-Technology Interaction

Discrete and integrated electronics for control, data acquisition and neuralstimulation

State-of-the-art ASICs (“application specific integrated circuits”) for miniaturized low power implants for stimulation, data acquisition, data compression, processing and transmission

• Mixed-signal design for customized semiconductor circuits in 180 nm to 22 nm

System design for multi-channel high-speed stimulation and readout electronics

• Electronics for real-time control and readout of 16 and more channels
• Individual waveform control for neurotransmitter determination with FSCV (“Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry”)

Wireless power supply and data communication for state-of-the-art, battery-free sensor implants

• Highly customized wireless communication for active, wireless implants in all common and standardized frequency ranges (ISM bands, 133 kHz, 13.56 MHz, 868 MHz, ...)
• Individual antenna and front-end design for customer-specific developments
• Development of a complete system including external and internal electronics 

Software- and hardware-based neuralsignal processing

• Algorithm development and software-based neural networks with high speed and low energy requirements (AIfES)
• AI-supported data evaluation and raw data reduction
• Implementation of customer-specific algorithms on FPGA or microcontrollers
• Realization of complex signal processing on integrated systems

Production of microsystem technology elements

• Design and integration of nano-needles for direct cell contacting, drug delivery and electrical recording
• Production of customized interdigital electrodes (IDEs) or arrays on silicon or glass wafers
• Long-term stable biocompatible coating of active implants

With our overall system knowledge, we offer customer-specific support in the development and implementation of your high-end system ideas.

State-of-the-art ASIC technologies for miniaturized low-power implants:

• Our post-CMOS process makes it possible to integrate additional sensors into the implant electronics
• Optimization of designs according to area, power consumption and performance 
• Integration of analog and digital parts on one chip 

Ultra-fast wireless data connection and wireless power supply: 

• Implants based on the latest RFID technology 
• Development of your complete system including external and internal (implantable) electronics
• Valuable insights into the function and performance of neuralimplants through remote evaluation 

Software- and hardware-based neuralsignal processing:

• Data processing in the implant enables optimized data traffic, reduces energy requirements and promotes patient privacy (ARTEMIS) 
• Embedded AI with low energy consumption for intelligent functions and closed loop approaches

Biocompatible coatings and conductive electrode materials through “Atomic Layer Deposition” (ALD)

• Planar and 3D electrode deposition possible
• Passivation layers, also as implant encapsulation
• Nano-/microneedles as electrode arrays
• Monolithic structure / CMOS-compatible
• Our nano-electrodes enable local and selective stimulation

With decades of experience from basic research to product approval with well known industrial partners, Fraunhofer IMS offers comprehensive capabilities to develop, design and manufacture implants for the neurological field.

• Development consulting and implementation under one roof, from system design to prototypes or pre-series production
• We have been certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 since 1995 and have many years of experience with ISO 13485 and IEC 62304, as well as valuable contacts in and around the Fraunhofer network
• Development and production of measurement, test and calibration setups
• In-house clean rooms for the development and production of MEMS (“Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems”) and NEMS (“Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems”)
• Many years of experience with materials and long-term stability in AVT and (thin-film) encapsulation (ALD)
• Readiness to deliver even for small quantities
• Customized system designs and ASIC designs of various foundry technologies
• Various research projects ensure that we are always up to date in the field of low-power embedded AI and signal processing
• Years of experience with customer-specific telemetry development and the associated challenges (tissue absorption, miniaturization, energy management) enable the implementation of visionary ideas

Neuralimplants are already enriching the lives of many patients today. Through joint projects and the pooling of expertise, the areas of application will become even more diverse in the future:

• Advanced treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's, epilepsy or chronic pain 
• Wire- and battery-free implants thanks to innovative energy and data transmission
• Voluntary control of prostheses and exoskeletons by the patient via signal recording on the brain, nerves or muscle tissue
• millimeter-sized wireless implants for near-nerve stimulation and selection, e.g. for targeted vagus nerve stimulation in autoimmune diseases
• Improvement of treatment through closed-loop systems: real-time adaptation of therapy, based on measured brain or nerve signals, for increased effectiveness and precision of therapy and a reduction in side effects