A Multifunctional Silicon-based Microscale Surgical System

Abstract

In this paper we report our progress on the development of silicon-based surgical tools. We report on the integration of piezoresistive sensors in noise insensitive Wheatstone configuration, silicon nitride/platinum composite overhanging blades, fluid channels, and electrical packaging features to make the device highly multifunctional.Multiple polysilicon piezoresistors were integrated onto bulk micromachined ultrasonic transducers, that were characterized for measuring the ultrasonic strain and the force applied to the cutting tip. The use of thin film silicon nitride/metal composites for cutting swine retinas at the cellular level is demonstrated.