Nano-Tera NextStep 2015: Collaborative Research

Juan Ansó, May 2015

Drill integrated neuro-monitoring for minimally invasive robotic cochlear implantation Background —

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Facial nerve safety – preliminary work —

Neuromonitoring for FN protection (detect FN proximity)

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Optimal stimulation protocol determined in sheep

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Custom neuromonitoring probe detects FN (<0.1 mm)

Project Goal —

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Cathode

Drill integrated stimulation for conitinuous FN monitoring Anode 3 Anode 2 Anode 1

Proposal — — —

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Drill passes within 0.3 – 1 mm of facial nerve

Protocol verification in humans (medical grade EMG device required) (Neurosign device, 17000 CHF )

FN

Drill bit insulation coating for integrated stimulation electrodes (Student 2.5 months ~ 14,000 CHF) Total budget 31,000 CHF, project duration 6 months

Collaborators —

Marco Caversaccio, Department of ENT, Unibe

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Jorg Patscheider, Coatings department, Empa

Stimulus threshold (mA)

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Sheep 2 Trajectory 7 LD = 0

d=2 d=4 d=7 Mono

1.5 1 0.5 0.3 0.1 -1

0 Axial distance (mm)

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NextStep - Scientific Collaboration 04.05.2015 - Tobia Brusa, ISTB, University Bern

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Functional anatomy of Fecal Incontinence (FI) — Characterization of continence organ’s anatomy and biomechanics in patients suffering from fecal incontinence (FI).

— Prof. Dr. Med. Radu Tutuian, chief physician gastroenterology at Tiefeneau Hospital Bern — Chf: ~30’000.-

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Extension of current Nano-Tera study aiming at defining design specifications of implant based on healthy volunteers.

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Main benefit: add clinical component to the project — — — —

Comprehensive assessment of contraction and compliance Integration of imaging and functional data Establishing normal (healthy subjects vs. patients) Develop new treatment concepts 1

Digital Ultrasound Head [UltrasoundToGo] Pascal Alexander Hager largest ultrasound research unit Europe more than 20 years experience

Project Scope

Frontend HDI PCB (commercial components)

Digital Processing Digital high‐speed link

Piezoelectric Transducer Array

Backend System FPGA Board (Tablet/Smartphone)

Ultrasound Division Fraunhofer IBMT

ETHZ IIS

Conventional 2D Ultrasound System:

Goal: •

Explore new digital ultrasound head concept.

Collaboration: • •

Build two heads, collaborators provide parts Funding (30k): PCB, Components, IBMT Assistance

Time Table: Transducer head

Cable 64‐256 coax

Analog Frontend Digital Processing Backend System

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6 Month, 50% PhD Student IIS 10% support personnel IIS/IBMT

Image Sources: Ibmt.fraunhofer.de healthcare.philips.com www.akutron.com/products

Functional c-Si/GaAs nanowire tandem solar cell  Flexible PDMS film helps to transfer GaAs nanowire forest from Si substrate to surface of c-Si solar cell

Problem with PDMS hardness – film with thickness 5 µm is very fragile Solution: perform search and analysis of different range of polymers with professional polymer chemist

Dmitry Mikulik, EPFL

1st Idea: Reliability of NW-polymer composite New polymer material – UV curable polyester.

• High transparence • Low viscosity • Good adhesion • Good hardness

Main collaborator: Tommaso Nardi, Laboratory of Composite and Polymer Technology, EPFL Planning work: Work with different polymers and methods for embedding GaAs NWs on equipment of Polymer Lab in EPFL Our part: provide test samples with nanowires, analysis of experiments with SEM, OM and other techniques.

Collaborator part: provide new polymer materials, expertise of methods of embedding NWs in polymer, provide equipment for experiments Funding: 5.000 chf

Sun light

Functional c-Si/GaAs nanowire tandem solar cell

ITO PDMS ITO c‐Si solar cell

2nd Idea: Reliability of GaAs NW solar cells by analyzing spectral and electrical characteristics Optical measurements:  EQY – Initial measurements  Reflectance — give information about surface quality  IQY - depends on structure and p-n junction optical properties

 GaAs p-i-n nanowires embedded in flexible PDMS film would play a role of second solar cell, placed on top of conventional c-Si solar cell Problem: Reliability of GaAs NW based solar cells Solution: To realize perspective and weak points of GaAs NW based solar cell - spectral, electric and optical measurements must be performed.

Dmitry Mikulik, EPFL

Electrical measurements: IV curves in a wide range of irradiance allows to obtain a number of important characteristics:  Voc-Jsc dependence to form p-n junction IV curve  resistive losses IV as a difference between p-n junction and practical IV curve

Electro-luminescence pattern determination at different temperatures: Could be applied to evaluate the uniformity of nanowires photo-electrical properties

T= 25C, J=100 mA/cm2

T= -190C, J=5 mA/cm2

T= -190C, J=5.5 mA/cm2

Main collaborator: Mikhail Mintairov, Photovoltaics Lab, Ioffe institute, Russia Planning work: Measurements and analysis of results of pilot devices in Photovoltaics lab in Ioffe institute Our part: provide pilot devices based on GaAs NWs, organize joint workshop/visit to discuss results Collaborator part: provide different measurements of solar cells, analysis of measurements Funding: 10.000 chf

PARTNERS

GOAL

Soft & dry biopotential electrodes MOTIVATION APPROACH

LBB

MNS

‐ Conductive polymers ‐ Implantables

‐ Micro & Nanofabrication ‐ Wearables

Flurin Stauffer

Moritz Thielen

FUNDING • Wearable health monitoring • Brain‐computer interfaces • Poor performance of Embedding conductive commercial systems nanostructures in soft substrates Contact: Moritz Thielen, thielenm@ethz.ch

Enobio from Neuroelectrics®

• A portable EEG system (12k) • Biocompatibility studies (8k) • Clinical evaluation (10k)

Development of an impedance setup to study electric and electrochemical bone tissue properties.

Thomas Wyss Balmer ISTB University of Berne

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Facial nerve neuro‐monitoring is used to improve the safety of drilling in the bone for DCA. Bone electric properties required to predict the distance between drill bit and nerves.  Electro‐chemical effects    

Better characterization of these effects 

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 Budget ~ 30’000 CHF

Contact effects Voltage/frequency dependent Affected by the type of electrolyte Collaboration with Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of Bern & University of Budapest (P. Broeckmann, H. Siegenthaler) Setup for reliable measurement of the electrochemical properties (optimize stray capacitance, contact interface, signal/noise ratio, waveform…)

 Cost of personnel & material  Seed project towards snf proposal