Development of three-dimension microelectrode array for bioelectric measurement using the liquidmetal-micromolding technique

A method of manufacturing three-dimension microneedle electrode arrays is presented in this paper using the micromolding technology with liquid metal at room temperature, based on the physical property of the Bi-In-Sn liquid metal alloy, being its melting point especially low. Observed under scanning electron microscopy, the needle body of the electrode chip manufactured using this method has a good consistency. Skin penetration test in-vitro indicates that the microneedle electrode can pierce the stratum corneum and cross the high-impedance layer to acquire electrical signals. Electrical impedance and polarization voltage experimental results show that the electrode chips have great electric characteristics and meet the practical application demands.

[1]  Stéphanie P. Lacour,et al.  Flexible and stretchable micro-electrodes for in vitro and in vivo neural interfaces , 2010, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing.

[2]  H P Schwan,et al.  Alternating current electrode polarization , 1966, Biophysik.

[3]  Stéphanie P. Lacour,et al.  Microchannel Electrodes for Recording and Stimulation: In Vitro Evaluation , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[4]  Yong-Kyu Yoon,et al.  An electrically active microneedle array for electroporation , 2010, Biomedical microdevices.

[5]  Microneedle arrays for intracellular recording applications , 2008, 2008 IEEE 21st International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems.

[6]  Liang Guo,et al.  A lithographically-patterned, elastic multi-electrode array for surface stimulation of the spinal cord , 2008, Biomedical microdevices.

[7]  Carmel Majidi,et al.  3D structures of liquid-phase GaIn alloy embedded in PDMS with freeze casting. , 2013, Lab on a chip.

[8]  Jing Liu,et al.  Biomedical Implementation of Liquid Metal Ink as Drawable ECG Electrode and Skin Circuit , 2013, PloS one.

[9]  B. Hantash,et al.  Pilot clinical study of a novel minimally invasive bipolar microneedle radiofrequency device , 2009, Lasers in surgery and medicine.

[10]  Damijan Miklavcic,et al.  Hollow Microneedle Arrays for Intradermal Drug Delivery and DNA Electroporation , 2010, The Journal of Membrane Biology.

[11]  Weilin Xu,et al.  Controlled release of heparin from blended polyurethane and silk fibroin film , 2009 .

[12]  T. Wang,et al.  3D high aspect ratio micro structures fabricated by one step UV lithography , 2007, 2007 2nd IEEE International Conference on Nano/Micro Engineered and Molecular Systems.

[13]  J. Berg,et al.  Studies on surface wettability of poly(dimethyl) siloxane (PDMS) and glass under oxygen-plasma treatment and correlation with bond strength , 2005, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems.

[14]  G. Whitesides,et al.  Rapid Prototyping of Microfluidic Systems in Poly(dimethylsiloxane). , 1998, Analytical chemistry.