Micro-LEDs for biomedical applications

This chapter provides a general summary of micro-LED technology related to its use in biomedical applications. It uses specific examples as illustration and is not meant to be an exhaustive review. First, the fabrication and format of micro-LEDs are discussed as well as their spectral, temporal and optical output characteristics. This is followed by a description of chip-scale microfluorimetry and its enabling elements, namely the short (ns) pulsing and high-speed modulation capabilities of the devices, and their compatibility with CMOS-based drive electronics, and single-photon avalanche photodiodes for time-correlated single photon counting. The application of the technology to optoelectronic tweezers is then discussed, showing that light patterns projected onto photoconductive electrodes can be used to manipulate and interrogate populations of biological cells. How micro-LEDs can be integrated onto mechanically flexible dressings and bandages, and how this technology can be applied, is then explained. Finally a summary of developments in optogenetics and neural interfacing is given.