Standard CMOS piezoresistive sensor to quantify heart cell contractile forces

Author

Lin, Gisela ; Pister, Kristofer S J ; Roos, Kenneth P.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng., California Univ., Los Angeles, CA, USA

fYear

1996

fDate

11-15 Feb 1996

Firstpage

150

Lastpage

155

Abstract

A MEMS force transducer system, with a volume less than one cubic millimeter, is being developed to measure forces generated by living, isolated cardiac muscle cells. Cell attachment and measurement of contractile forces have been demonstrated with prototype hinged polysilicon devices. A new transducer system has been fabricated using a standard CMOS process with a post-processing XeF₂ etch step. The system consists of a three dimensional oxide structure with aluminum hinges, polysilicon piezoresistive sensor, and CMOS amplifier. System response is 0.45 mV/μN. This MEMS force transducer will permit improved resolution of the mechanisms of muscle contraction

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; biological techniques; biomechanics; cardiology; cellular biophysics; electric sensing devices; elemental semiconductors; etching; force measurement; integrated circuit technology; microsensors; muscle; piezoelectric transducers; piezoresistive devices; silicon; Al hinges; CMOS amplifier; CMOS piezoresistive sensor; MEMS force transducer; Si; XeF₂; XeF₂ etch step; cell attachment; contractile forces; heart cell; living isolated cardiac muscle cells; muscle contraction; polysilicon piezoresistive sensor; post-processing; resolution; three dimensional oxide structure; Force measurement; Force sensors; Heart; Micromechanical devices; Millimeter wave devices; Muscles; Piezoresistance; Prototypes; Transducers; Volume measurement;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, 1996, MEMS '96, Proceedings. An Investigation of Micro Structures, Sensors, Actuators, Machines and Systems. IEEE, The Ninth Annual International Workshop on

Conference_Location

San Diego, CA

Print_ISBN

0-7803-2985-6

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/MEMSYS.1996.493845

Filename

493845