This research is a biomolecular image sensor that utilizes the retinal membrane protein “bacteriorhodopsin” (bR). We developed a bR patterning process and realized a signal processing for the photoelectric response in order to apply the bR pump function to a MEMS optical component. An image sensing system consisting of an 8 × 8 array of 1 mm²　bR photoreceptors and charge amplifiers was fabricated. It could detect both static images and moving images.

References :
Seiichi Takamatsu, Kazunori Hoshino, Kiyoshi Matsumoto, Tsutomu Miyasaka, Isao Shimoyama, “Biomolecular Image Sensor of Patterned bacterioRhodopsin by Electrodepsotion,” 18th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS '05), pp. 847-850, Miami, Fulorida, USA, January 30-February 3, 2005. [Proceedings]