1. A device comprising:
a photosensor disposed in a first region of a substrate;
a first ground well disposed in the substrate, the first ground well separate from the photosensor and having a resistance lower than the substrate; and
a metal trace ground line in a dielectric layer on an upper surface of the substrate away from the photosensor in the first region; a metal trace ground contact extending from the metal trace ground line to below an upper surface of the substrate to electrically contact the first ground well;
wherein the first ground well is disposed in the substrate below the metal trace ground line so as to provide a low resistance path for free carriers from the first region of the substrate to the metal trace ground line.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transfer transistor having a drain region, wherein the first ground well is separate from the drain region.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the first ground well is disposed under the drain region.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first ground well is separated from the metal trace ground line.
5. The device of claim 3, further comprising a second ground well disposed between the first ground well and the metal trace ground line, the second ground well having a lower resistance than the first ground well.
6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a third ground well disposed between the second ground well and the metal trace ground line, the third ground well having a lower resistance than the second ground well.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is doped with a p-type dopant, and wherein the first ground well is doped with a p-type dopant to have a resistance lower than the resistance of the substrate.
8. A device comprising:
a substrate having at least one photosensor disposed therein;
at least one drain region disposed in the substrate, each said at least one drain region associated with a corresponding one of the at least one photosensor;
a first ground well in the substrate and separate from the at least one drain region and separate from the at least one photosensor, the first ground well doped to have a resistance lower than a resistance of the substrate; and
a metal trace ground contact in a dielectric layer on an upper surface of the substrate away from the at least one photosensor; the metal trace ground contact extending below an upper surface of the substrate to electrically contact the first ground well.
9. The device of claim 8, further comprising a second ground well disposed such that the first ground well is between the second ground well and the metal trace ground contact, the second ground well doped to have a lower resistance than the resistance of the substrate and a higher resistance than the resistance of the first ground well.
10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a third ground well disposed such that the second ground well is between the third ground well and the metal trace ground contact, the third ground well doped to have a lower resistance than the resistance of the substrate and a higher resistance than the resistance of the second ground well.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the metal trace ground contact contacts the first ground well.
12. The device of claim 11, wherein the substrate is a p-type semiconductor, and wherein the first ground well, the second ground well and the third ground well are doped with a p-type dopant.
13. The device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the third ground well and the second ground well are doped with a different material than the first ground well.
14. The device of claim 8, wherein the first ground well is doped to have a resistance gradient with a lowest resistance nearest the metal trace ground contact.
15. A method of forming a device comprising:
forming a first ground well in a substrate, the first ground well having a resistance lower than a resistance of the substrate;
forming a photosensor in a first region of the substrate and separate from the first ground well;
forming a dielectric layer on the substrate; and
forming a metal trace ground contact, the metal trace ground contact extending through the dielectric layer and into a region of the substrate adjacent to the first ground well, the metal trace ground contact disposed such that the first ground well provides a low resistance path for free carriers in the first region of the substrate to the metal trace ground contact; the metal trace ground contact electrically contacting the first ground well.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a second ground well between the first ground well and the metal trace ground contact, the second ground well doped to have a lower resistance than the resistance of the first ground well.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming a third ground well between the second ground well and the metal trace ground contact, the third ground well doped to have a lower resistance than the resistance of the second ground well.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a drain region in the substrate and over at least a portion of the first ground well.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the first ground well comprises epitaxially growing a doped semiconductor layer as a first ground well.
20. The device of claim 9, wherein the metal trace ground contact directly contacts the first ground well.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of stimulating user deglutition without substantial aspiration, the method comprising:
providing a portable system born by a user for controlling a component of a complete swallowing act, the system including a controller, a signal generator, and an electrode array including at least one electrode, the signal generator in communication with the electrode array;
subcutaneously positioning the electrode array in stimulating communication with deglutition musculature; and
artificially stimulating user deglutition via the signal generator and electrode array according to a passive user secretion maintenance program adapted to automatically, periodically stimulate deglutition of user secretions without substantial aspiration of the user secretions.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
stimulating user deglutition according to an active feeding program adapted for stimulating deglutition of at least one of food and drink without substantial aspiration.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a user input adapted to receive a feeding request prompt from a user, the method further comprising:
receiving a feeding request prompt at the user input; and
operating the signal generator according to the active feeding program in response to the feeding request information.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
continuing to stimulate user deglutition according to the active feeding program for a duration selected by the user with the user input.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising automatically interrupting continuous deglutition stimulation selected by the user after a predetermined period of time.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising changing a stimulation intensity of the active feeding program to a user stimulation intensity desired by the user based upon information received from the user input.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
automatically sensing that the user is in a substantially reclined position, wherein the portable system automatically operates according to the passive user secretion maintenance program in response to the user assuming the substantially reclined position.
8. A method of stimulating user deglutition without substantial aspiration, the method comprising:
providing a portable system born by a user for controlling a component of deglutition, the system including a controller, at least one stimulating electrode, and a signal generator;
subcutaneously positioning the at least one stimulating electrode in stimulating communication with deglutition musculature;
selecting a desired deglutition program from a plurality of specialized deglutition programs maintained by the controller based upon a characteristic of a bolus to be consumed by a user; and
operating the system according to the selected deglutition program.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bolus characteristic includes at least one of bolus volume and bolus consistency.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the bolus characteristic includes whether the bolus is liquid-like or solid-like.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more of the specialized deglutition programs include a group of pre-determined, sequential, and overlapping pulse trains.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of the group of pre-determined, sequential, and overlapping pulse trains includes a signal ramp at a beginning of the at least one pulse train.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the group of pre-determined, sequential, and overlapping pulse trains includes at least one asymmetric, biphasic waveform.
14. A method of stimulating user deglutition without substantial aspiration, the method comprising:
providing a portable system born by a user for controlling at least a component of deglutition, the system including a controller, an electrode array, and a signal generator in communication with the electrode array;
subcutaneously positioning a first portion of the electrode array in stimulating communication with deglutition musculature;
subcutaneously positioning a second portion of the electrode array in stimulating communication with sensory mucosa of at least one of a mouth and a throat of the user;
stimulating the sensory mucosa with the electrode array to provide the user with tactile, sensory feedback; and
stimulating the deglutition musculature with the electrode array to cause user deglutition without substantial aspiration.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the electrode array includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode being positioned in stimulating communication with the deglutition musculature and the second electrode being positioned in stimulating communication with sensory mucosa of the at least one of the mouth and the throat of the user.
16. A method of stimulating user deglutition without substantial aspiration, the method comprising:
providing a portable system born by a user for controlling at least a component of deglutition, the system including a controller, a signal generator, and an electrode array including at least one electrode;
subcutaneously positioning the electrode array in stimulating communication with deglutition musculature;
stimulating the deglutition musculature via the electrode array with a subthreshold, baseline signal prior to user deglutition; and
stimulating the deglutition musculature via the electrode array with a stimulating signal following stimulation with the subthreshold, baseline signal, the stimulating signal causing a component of user deglutition to be artificially stimulated.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the subthreshold, baseline signal and the stimulating signal are coordinated according to a predetermined time delay between initiation of the baseline signal and initiation of the stimulating signal to assist the user in timing autonomous deglutition efforts with artificial stimulation of the component of user deglutition.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein the subthreshold, baseline signal places the deglutition musculature of the user in a state of partial activation prior to at least one of:
full activation of the partially activated deglutition musculature via autonomous user stimulation; and
full activation of the partially activated deglutition musculature via the stimulating signal.
19. A system for assisting user deglutition without substantial aspiration, the system comprising:
an electrode array adapted to be subcutaneously positioned in stimulating communication with deglutition musculature;
a sensor array adapted to be subcutaneously positioned for providing deglutition information;
a signal generator electronically connected to the electrode array for providing a stimulating signal to the electrode array; and
a controller electronically connected to the sensor array for receiving the deglutition information and electronically connected to the signal generator to prompt operation of the signal generator in delivering the stimulating signal to cause a component of deglutition to occur, wherein the controller is adapted to actively modify the stimulating signal delivered by the signal generator based upon the received deglutition information.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the deglutition information is selected from the group consisting of: hyolaryngeal complex position information, overall user body position information, upper esophageal opening force information, upper esophageal displacement information, intrapharyngeal pressure information, larynx position information, system position information, user chin position information, user head position information, user torso position information, deglutition muscle length information, and combinations thereof.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor array includes at least one of an accelerometer, a force gauge, a strain gauges, an EMG sensor, a displacement sensor, a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer, a pressure sensors, and combinations thereof.