Towards the development of an integrated neural connector : technologies to fabricate nerve guidance channels and silicon dices.

This paper describes the fabrication of the tubular guidance channel and of a type of microfabricated through-pass hole dice, which together form a prototype neural connector. The final goal is to develop a hybrid implantable microsystem capable of bidirectionally interfacing the peripheral nervous system to an external device for actuation (artificial limb) or for functional neuromuscular stimulation.