Ubiquitous Contriving Of In Vivo

Biomechanics and Neurosurgical Tools

Employing Micro Electro Mechanical
Systems (MEMS) Technology
Authors:

Sudipta Ghosh, Anamika Das, Manish Puri, Jitendra Singh
Sengar

Department of ECE, Lovely Professional University, Punjab
(India)
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Contents
I. Introduction
II. Focus Of This Paper
III. Intracranial Pressure Monitoring
IV. Drugs Delivery System
V. Surgical Tools
VI. Neural Prostheses
VII.Conclusion


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Introduction
Micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) has been identified as one
of the most promising technologies for the 21
st
century and has the
potential to revolutionize both industrial and consumer products by
combining silicon-based microelectronics with micromachining
technology.

MEMS is a technology that is used to create tiny integrated devices
or systems that combine various electrical and mechanical
components and can range in size from a few micrometers to
millimeters.

MEMS is not just about the miniaturization of mechanical
components but a paradigm for designing and creating complex
mechanical devices and systems as well as their integrated
electronics using batch fabrication techniques.
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Now a days there is tremendous interest in the development of
Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for medical
applications.

A variety of neurosurgical procedures such as cranial surgery,
spinal surgery is amenable to the application of MEMS
technology

Cranial surgery involves surgery on the skull and its contents, the
brain.

Spine surgery involves surgery on the vertebra, discs, and spinal
cord.
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Focus Of This Paper:
Applications of MEMS In
Neurosurgery
Various areas of nervous system where MEMS has
shown its magic in measuring and monitoring
critical and life saving parameters.

Autonomous Drug Delivery systems, wherein the
pill autonomously decides the amount of drug to
be administered.

Surgical tools where the use of MEMS can enable
us to have a more precise and error free surgical
procedures.
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Intracranial Pressure Monitoring
The primary goal of Intracranial
Pressure (ICP) monitoring is to
reckon the intracranial pressure
trends and to appraise the need of
therapeutic interventions in order
to minimize the ischemic injury to
the brain-injured patient.
The figure shows the conventional
technique used to measure
intracranial pressure.
A hole is made on the skull, and
then catheter probes are inserted
to measure the pressure of cerebro
spinal fluid.
In this technique the patient
needed to be hospitalized and
bedridden for long durations.
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Using MEMS a device can be
fabricated which is minute in size
and doesnt require the
hospitalization of the patient.

It is designed using a pressure
sensor.

This pressure sensor measures
Intracranial Pressure (ICP) and
the flow of Cerebrospinal Fluid
(CSF). The device consists of an
adjustable valve for CSF drainage
and the microelectronic part takes
care of the signal processing and
wireless telemetry.
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The pressure sensor senses the amount of pressure and the flow of
CSF and then transmits it through a coil antenna i.e. the wireless
telemetry module to the investigating neurosurgeon, who in turn,
issues commands to adjust the CSF drainage valve.

The system could potentially be modied to work on an internal
feedback without using the neurosurgeon s input. This latter
strategy embraces and, in fact denes, the concept of a smart
system.
This device can also be termed as a smart shunt. With such a
smart shunt, an increase or decrease of intracranial pressure would
signal a modication of outow resistance, so that CSF ow could
be increased or decreased.
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Drugs Delivery System
Drugs and other substances that require
on the nose instillation techniques,
could be delivered by MEMS systems.

The figure presents a schematic
depiction of a micro-machined silicon
immuno isolating biocapsule that was
developed to house pancreatic islet cell
transplants for insulin therapy.

This MEMS device consists of a cell
chamber and a lter membrane with 20
nm pores. The pore size is large enough
to allow insulin and oxygen commute,
but small enough to impede the passage
of viruses and immune molecules.

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One more advancement in drug
delivery techniques is the
SMART PILL. The device is of
the size of a match stick and can
be inserted inside the body of a
patient.

The device has an external sensor
that helps in sensing the
surrounding environment inside
the patients body.

After sensing the patients internal
conditions it automatically injects
the required amount of drug
directly inside the patient.
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Surgical Tools
MEMS technology can be also
injested to design and manufacture
surgical tools which would be giant
advancement for the future
generations.
Pressure sensors, strain gauges, or any
other biochemical sensors can be
incorporated into surgical
instruments.
Actuators that could allow for
precision cutting and local
manipulation of tissues with
unprecedented control can also be
incorporated into the design.
The availability of such smart
instruments should also enhance the
capabilities of minimally invasive
procedures in neurosurgery.


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Neural Prostheses
Neural prostheses (NPs) are
assistive devices that restore
functions lost as a turnout of
neural damage.
NPs electrically enkindle
nerves and are either external
or internally implanted
devices, for example, a
cochlear implant used by deaf
persons.
The figure shows a
microelectrode array that have
been fabricated using MEMS
technology and is used to link
the nervous system to
microelectronics circuitry.
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Conclusion
The future of MEMS applications to the neurosurgical arena
is Brobdingnagian.
Clinical employment of smart systems, the application of
MEMS technology to the molecular biology arena, and the
modication of cell growth via MEMS technology is
imminently within reach.
MEMS and related technologies can be utilized to enhance
bone fusion, improve recovery following spinal cord and
peripheral nerve injury, and for the management of patients
with brain tumors and traumatic brain injury.
MEMS hold a bright future for Bio medical applications
and thereby promises us a bright future for the health care
industry.

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