Bio-inspired micro-fluidic angular-rate sensor for vestibular prostheses

Sensors (Basel). 2014 Jul 22;14(7):13173-85. doi: 10.3390/s140713173.

Abstract

This paper presents an alternative approach for angular-rate sensing based on the way that the natural vestibular semicircular canals operate, whereby the inertial mass of a fluid is used to deform a sensing structure upon rotation. The presented gyro has been fabricated in a commercially available MEMS process, which allows for microfluidic channels to be implemented in etched glass layers, which sandwich a bulk-micromachined silicon substrate, containing the sensing structures. Measured results obtained from a proof-of-concept device indicate an angular rate sensitivity of less than 1 °/s, which is similar to that of the natural vestibular system. By avoiding the use of a continually-excited vibrating mass, as is practiced in today's state-of-the-art gyroscopes, an ultra-low power consumption of 300 μW is obtained, thus making it suitable for implantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Glass / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Microfluidics / instrumentation*
  • Prostheses and Implants*
  • Rotation
  • Semicircular Canals / physiology
  • Silicon / chemistry
  • Solutions / chemistry
  • Vestibule, Labyrinth / physiology*

Substances

  • Solutions
  • Silicon