IMTEK photo wins first prize for scientific photography
The winning shot: implantable elektrode array for epilepsy diagnosis (IMTEK/Bernd Müller)
Müller accepted the prize at a ceremony in Berlin attended by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. The photo from the domain medical technology/neurotechnology captures an implantable electrode array and was shot at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) in the lab of BCF member Thomas Stieglitz.
The prize is awarded yearly by the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech).
About the electrode:
These electrodes have several applications: For example, they are used as a diagnostic tool to record electrical signals from the surface of the brain prior to epilepsy surgery. Furthermore, the recorded signals will also be used as input for brain-machine interfaces in the course of rehabilitation of paraplegic patients or in stroke rehabilitation.
An advantage in comparison with commercially available products is the high spatial resolution of the electrodes while simultaneously covering large areas. A further advantage is that the mechanical properties (i.e. the flexibility) of the array are independent of the number of electrodes and the distance between them.
Further information:
Press release of the University of Freiburg (in German)
Bernd Müller's website
The award's website at the German Academy of Science and Engineering (in German)