A Comparative Study of Si3N4 and Al2O3 as Dielectric Materials for Pre-Charged Collapse-Mode CMUTs

Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducers (CMUTs) have many advantages compared to other ultrasonic transducer technologies, especially for implantable devices. However, they require a high bias voltage for efficient operation. To eliminate the need for an external bias voltage, a charge storage layer can be embedded in the dielectric....

Focused ultrasound neuromodulation on a multiwell MEA

Background<br/>Microelectrode arrays (MEA) enable the measurement and stimulation of the electrical activity of cultured cells. The integration of other neuromodulation methods will significantly enhance the application range of MEAs to study their effects on neurons. A neuromodulation method that is recently gaining more attention is focused...

Schlieren visualization of focused ultrasound beam steering for spatially specific stimulation of the vagus nerve

In the bioelectronic medicine field, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising technique that is expected to treat numerous inflammatory conditions, in addition to the currently FDA approved treatment for epilepsy, depression and obesity [1]. However, current VNS techniques are still limited in the spatial resolution that they can achieve,...

Pressure measurement of geometrically curved ultrasound transducer array for spatially specific stimulation of the vagus nerve

Vagus nerve stimulators currently on the market can treat epilepsy and depression. Recent clinical trials show the potential for vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to treat epilepsy, autoimmune disease, and traumatic brain injury. As we explore the benefits of VNS, it is expected that more possibilities for a new treatment will emerge in the future....