Targeted light delivery into biological tissue is needed in applications such as optogenetic stimulation of the brain and in vivo functional or structural imaging of tissue. These applications require very compact, soft, and flexible implants that minimize damage to the tissue. Here, we demonstrate a novel implantable photonic platform based on a high-density, flexible array of ultracompact (30 μm × 5 μm), low-loss (3.2 dB/cm at λ = 680 nm, 4.1 dB/cm at λ = 633 nm, 4.9 dB/cm at λ = 532 nm, 6.1 dB/cm at λ = 450 nm) optical waveguides composed of biocompatible polymers Parylene C and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This photonic platform features unique embedded input/output micromirrors that redirect light from the waveguides perpendicularly to the surface of the array for localized, patterned illumination in tissue. This architecture enables the design of a fully flexible, compact integrated photonic system for applications such as in vivo chronic optogenetic stimulation of brain activity.

在诸如大脑的光遗传学刺激和组织的体内功能或结构成像等应用中，需要将靶向光传递到生物组织中。这些应用需要非常紧凑、柔软和灵活的植入物，以最大限度地减少对组织的损伤。在这里，我们展示了一种新型可植入光子平台，该平台基于高密度、灵活的超紧凑（30 μm × 5 μm）阵列，低损耗（λ  = 680 nm 时为 3.2 dB/cm，λ  = 633时为 4.1 dB/cm nm，在λ  = 532 nm时为 4.9 dB/cm，在λ时为 6.1 dB/cm = 450 nm) 由生物相容性聚合物聚对二甲苯 C 和聚二甲基硅氧烷 (PDMS) 组成的光波导。该光子平台具有独特的嵌入式输入/输出微镜，可将来自波导的光垂直重定向到阵列表面，从而在组织中进行局部图案化照明。这种架构能够设计一个完全灵活、紧凑的集成光子系统，用于大脑活动的体内慢性光遗传学刺激等应用。