Trainings and Workshops

Modern medicine largely relies on pharmaceutical drugs to treat diseases, leading to significant improvements in longevity and quality of life. However, despite ongoing successes, pharmaceutical drugs still face considerable challenges, including severe side effects, drug-resistant diseases, and conditions beyond the reach of existing treatments. Clearly, patients in these cases need alternative treatment paradigms.

One promising option is electronic implants that communicate directly with the nervous system. However, these neural implants present challenges: the nervous system is a complex network of billions of neurons, each with micron-scale dimensions. Implantation is invasive, and device failure poses serious patient risks. Therefore, to meet patient needs and develop new treatments, we need highly precise, biocompatible electronic systems that are both small and durable

This session focuses on methods to enable next-generation neural implants to function safely for an extended period in the harsh environment of the human body. The benefits and challenges of conformal coating compared with widely used hermetic housings will be discussed. Several coating options will be introduced, along with their effects on component and system design.