Research

The Fraunhofer IIS is partner of a European research project, in which engineers and scientists are developing a low-cost and miniaturized chip-technology for improved medical diagnosis, e.g. in ophthalmology. The photonic-integrated technology developed in this project may become an enabler to bring Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to broader use in medical care. The Fraunhofer IIS leads the CMOS based readout electronic integration.

The detection of chemical substances at trace amounts can be a difficult task that requires typically laboratory equipment and skilled technical support. In this European research project, we develop with partners a miniature automated laboratory system for autonomous operation in harsh conditions. This system is projected to detect specific chemical substances at concentration levels in the range of the micro-mole per liter in the waste water.

The Fraunhofer IIS focuses on the design of a readout ASIC for chemical sensors and the development of energy harvesters for the sewage environment. The implementation of bias and readout electronics for chemical sensors with a low-power integrated-circuit technology is the key to the success of the project.

The Fraunhofer lead project “Theranostic Implants” focuses on the development of “intelligent” implants with diagnostic and therapeutic functions. In the subproject on the neuromuscular demonstrator, a myoelectric prosthetic hand controller, Fraunhofer IIS is developing the electronics for controlling the implant.

Nanowire-based MEMS sensors allow for further miniaturization of inertial sensors while maintaining high levels of performance. In the NIRVANA-FP7 research project, Fraunhofer IIS has developed application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for the measurement of MEMS inertial sensors. Thanks to new circuit concepts, the researchers were able to achieve extremely low energy consumption for usage in smartphones and medical implants.

The aim of the INTAKT project is to develop interactive micro implants for the targeted therapy of impaired bodily functions. The solution consists of a network of up to 12 intercommunicating micro implants. As part of this project, Fraunhofer IIS was tasked with designing an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for multichannel neural biosignal recording and electrical neurostimulation.