Biomedical Applications of MEMS: A Look at Grippers, Cochlear Implants, Micro Needles and MicroChemical Assay Devices

The Biomedical applications of MEMS are some of the most promising but also some of the most challenging. These applications require sound mechanical design, clear understanding of the biomedical issues, and biocompatible MEMS devices. In this talk are described several applications of MEMS to biomedicine. A piezoelectric (PZT) milligripper sufficiently strong to manipulate tissue in vivo is described, including the necessary optimization to get maximum gripper force. A cochlear electrode implant is described that restores hearing to the profoundly deaf by bypassing the hairs in the cochlea (the inner ear) and stimulating the auditory nerve directly. A micro cochlear port is described in which a resealable port is designed to be implanted in the inner ear. Difficult to treat diseases of the ear (rarely studied due to the inaccessibility of the inner ear) can now be better characterized because samples of the perilymph (fluid in the inner ear) can be more easily taken. A micro needle is described that shows promise of painlessly puncturing the skin and delivering medications that are successfully blocked by the epidermis. And finally, a microbiological assay device is shown in which the metabolic growth rate of yeast cells can actually be quantified.