Assembly Development of a Highly Flexible and Biocompatible Optoelectronic Neural Stimulator for Implantable Retinal Prosthesis

We report on the assembly process and reliability test development of a flexible, biocompatible optoelectronic neural stimulator for a retinal prosthesis. The design and development process for the flexible circuit are discussed. The successful bonding process between six silicon dielets and flexible substrates is presented. The characterization and accelerated lifetime testing are also detailed. The integration techniques described herein may be used to scale up the existing electrode array or for next generation higher visual acuity retinal prostheses. In addition, the methods and setup for lifetime testing may be used in the development of other optoelectronic flexible neural interfaces.