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Pablo Pérez Merino and Matthew McDonald selected for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships

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Congratulations to Pablo Pérez Merino and Matthew McDonald who have been selected for the very competitive and prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship was awarded to Matt McDonald for the project THINPAC (Thin flexible hermetic packaging of ultra-thin silicon chips for high-density neuro electronic implantable devices)

Project abstract:
Microelectronic medical implants with superior performance are needed to improve quality of life for patients. For neuroelectronic applications, this will be enabled through miniaturisation of large numbers of high-density electrodes in biomimetic packages. The leading solution is to use ultra-thin silicon chips embedded in flexible polymers with small flexible ribbon cables. The primary aim of THINPAC is to realize a robust technology platform for ultra-thin flexible hermetic packaging of thinned CMOS chips using alternating layers of ceramic nanofilms and polyimide. Innovation beyond existing FITEP-based fabrication technology is needed to ensure long term hermeticity, biostability, and flexibility of electronic implants. (FITEP: CMSTs platform regarding the fabrication of ‘Flexible implantable Thin Electronic Packagaing’). Finally, functional probes for implantation into peripheral nerves will be fabricated and fully characterized in rats for foreign body reaction and electrophysiology. The project will run for 2 years.

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship was awarded to Pablo Pérez Merino for the project GRAVITEYE (Implantable flexible electro-active sensing platform for smart intraocular applications).

Project abstract:
The GRAVITEYE project will develop a smart intraocular implant based on novel biomedical sensing technologies to monitor the IOP (Intra Ocular Pressure) dynamics, track the pulsatile fluctuations and decipher the intraocular fluid motion. The integrated platform will be encapsulated in a commercial intraocular lens and include (i) bio-fitted flexible sensors, (ii) ultrathin-film stretchable interconnections and (iii) a Radio-Frequency antenna for wireless powering and communication. The project will run for 2 years.