Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Rachel (Organic actuators as a tool for understanding the tactile sense: toward virtual medical touch)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-06-01 do 2024-05-31
Title: Tissue-like Bioelectronics: A Leap Towards Wearable Healthcare
In our ever-evolving world, where technology is integrated into our daily lives, a revolutionary field called bioelectronics is quietly making strides. From our interactions with each other through media and phones to monitoring our health or even using wearable or implantable technologies for the treatment and diagnosis of certain conditions. This interdisciplinary domain brings together biology and electronics to create devices that interact with biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels. However, there is a big challenge when it comes to making electronic devices that can be placed on our skin or inside our bodies, like those used in healthcare or wearable technology. These devices need to be very soft, flexible, and stretchable just like our skin and organs. Mismatch with the skin or organ it contacts with often leads to device failure, tissue damage, or compromised functionality. The polyelectrolyte complex called poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (commonly known as PEDOT:PSS) is widely used in both organic electronics and bioelectronics. However, it is much stiffer than our skin or organs can handle.
The most common way to make PEDOT:PSS more stretchable is by mixing it with certain substances like plasticizers, which are chemicals that can help it stretch. However, some of these substances might slowly come out of the material over time or when exposed to liquids, which could be harmful.
The importance of this study for society lies in introducing novel materials with combined properties that have the potential to revolutionize the field of bioelectronics. This, in turn, could significantly advance the development of biocompatible wearable and implantable technologies for monitoring and treating diseases, personalized healthcare devices, neural interfaces, and bioelectronic prosthetics.
Our overall objectives in this work were to synthesize an innovative stretchable and conductive block copolymer based on PEDOT:PSS, comprehensively characterize its properties, and demonstrate its applicability in bioelectronic devices for seamless integration with soft tissues and improved functionality.
In our ever-evolving world, where technology is integrated into our daily lives, a revolutionary field called bioelectronics is quietly making strides. From our interactions with each other through media and phones to monitoring our health or even using wearable or implantable technologies for the treatment and diagnosis of certain conditions. This interdisciplinary domain brings together biology and electronics to create devices that interact with biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels. However, there is a big challenge when it comes to making electronic devices that can be placed on our skin or inside our bodies, like those used in healthcare or wearable technology. These devices need to be very soft, flexible, and stretchable just like our skin and organs. Mismatch with the skin or organ it contacts with often leads to device failure, tissue damage, or compromised functionality. The polyelectrolyte complex called poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (commonly known as PEDOT:PSS) is widely used in both organic electronics and bioelectronics. However, it is much stiffer than our skin or organs can handle.
The most common way to make PEDOT:PSS more stretchable is by mixing it with certain substances like plasticizers, which are chemicals that can help it stretch. However, some of these substances might slowly come out of the material over time or when exposed to liquids, which could be harmful.
The importance of this study for society lies in introducing novel materials with combined properties that have the potential to revolutionize the field of bioelectronics. This, in turn, could significantly advance the development of biocompatible wearable and implantable technologies for monitoring and treating diseases, personalized healthcare devices, neural interfaces, and bioelectronic prosthetics.
Our overall objectives in this work were to synthesize an innovative stretchable and conductive block copolymer based on PEDOT:PSS, comprehensively characterize its properties, and demonstrate its applicability in bioelectronic devices for seamless integration with soft tissues and improved functionality.
During this novel research, we synthesized a special material that is intrinsically stretchable and conductive block copolymer with multiple functionalities in one material. We modified the material using chemistry tool kits without the need to blend it with other materials, which is a great advantage. Our material, called Block-6, reduced mechanical stresses on tissues, enhanced device durability, and allowed a more efficient charge transport in the interface with the tissue. Next, we compared this to another commercially available material called Clevios. Our Block-6 had the lowest stiffness (elastic modulus), it could stretch the most before breaking (fracture strain), and it adhered better to the forearm skin. These properties led to the better performance of Block-6 as a one-material comprising a dry EMG electrode! Compared with the commercially available formulation, we found that Block-6 was also more stable against water degradation, which is important for wearable sensors that may get wet from sweat.
Importantly, our organic electronic material is also easy to make and does not use rare and expensive elements like gold. Hence, it has a big economic impact, with a potential to reduce the price of bioelectronic devices due to reduced manufacturing steps, and using cheaper, more common materials. This is crucial for rural areas or those with low income, making healthcare more accessible to all.
This work was presented by me (in person) at several prestigious academic conferences and symposiums. Among them are the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2022, and the 10th ILANIT/FISEB Conference. Except for publishing my research in peer-reviewed papers, I seek more opportunities to communicate my work with colleagues, scientists, and students. I was also participating in institutional seminars and workshops such as the Polymer Communications course (virtual, Georgia Tech, USA). In addition, it is highly important for me to reach a wider audience, hence, I uploaded a brief summary of my research findings to my YouTube channel, which can be also found in my LinkedIn profile. Moreover, I usually use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share highlights and summaries of my work with the broader audience as well as my scientific community. My published work will be available to a broad audience through search engines such as Google, Google Scholar, and UC San Diego Library repositories. I believe that by spreading my research in social media and in scientific meetings in addition to the peer-reviewed articles, it can have a broader impact on the scientific community and potentially lead to further advancements and applications in the field of bioelectronics.
Importantly, our organic electronic material is also easy to make and does not use rare and expensive elements like gold. Hence, it has a big economic impact, with a potential to reduce the price of bioelectronic devices due to reduced manufacturing steps, and using cheaper, more common materials. This is crucial for rural areas or those with low income, making healthcare more accessible to all.
This work was presented by me (in person) at several prestigious academic conferences and symposiums. Among them are the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2022, and the 10th ILANIT/FISEB Conference. Except for publishing my research in peer-reviewed papers, I seek more opportunities to communicate my work with colleagues, scientists, and students. I was also participating in institutional seminars and workshops such as the Polymer Communications course (virtual, Georgia Tech, USA). In addition, it is highly important for me to reach a wider audience, hence, I uploaded a brief summary of my research findings to my YouTube channel, which can be also found in my LinkedIn profile. Moreover, I usually use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share highlights and summaries of my work with the broader audience as well as my scientific community. My published work will be available to a broad audience through search engines such as Google, Google Scholar, and UC San Diego Library repositories. I believe that by spreading my research in social media and in scientific meetings in addition to the peer-reviewed articles, it can have a broader impact on the scientific community and potentially lead to further advancements and applications in the field of bioelectronics.
As the project progresses, we aim to achieve several important milestones. In terms of bioelectronic devices, we expect to demonstrate the successful integration of the stretchable conductive block copolymer in advanced prototypes. Our first advanced prototype successfully measured and monitored the swallowed volume during exercise, leveraging a combination of stretchable derivatives of PEDOT:PSS, graphene, metallic nanoparticles, and machine learning algorithms. In addition, we are collaborating with doctors to demonstrate the use of our material as surface electromyography (sEMG) sensor to record signals from dysphagic cancer patients. This work is currently under review and should be published this year.
Our work so far demonstrated improved performance of a “one-material” composed device for recording muscle activity. Looking ahead, we plan to improve and explore even more exciting possibilities. Instead of recording signals, we will inject gentle electrical currents to stimulate nerves under the skin. This exciting technique aims to replicate the sense of touch, providing haptic feedback, just like the vibrations and touch responses we experience on our smartphones. We aim to significantly advance the field of sensory substitution. At present, replicating the sense of touch in electronic devices poses challenges because the existing technology is too bulky to stimulate the delicate touch receptors in human skin. As a result, the sensations produced feel unnatural and far from realistic. To address this challenge, we utilized the tool kits of materials chemistry, microfabrication engineering, and signal detection theory (STD), to create various types of sensation using ultra-low current with high accuracy. Using these new materials in wearable devices with realistic haptic cues can help amputees’ function; physical and mental problems can be addressed via virtual reality rehabilitation programs, that can be implemented in the patient’s familiar environment - his house. In addition, it may facilitate surgical training for complex surgeries (in the case of heart or brain pathologies, in which minimal harm to the functional tissue is critical) and telesurgery.
As bioelectronic devices become more common and interact with our bodies more deeply, there will be more discussions about ethics, privacy, and keeping our data secure. It's important to address these challenges responsibly to develop and use these technologies in the right way.
Our work so far demonstrated improved performance of a “one-material” composed device for recording muscle activity. Looking ahead, we plan to improve and explore even more exciting possibilities. Instead of recording signals, we will inject gentle electrical currents to stimulate nerves under the skin. This exciting technique aims to replicate the sense of touch, providing haptic feedback, just like the vibrations and touch responses we experience on our smartphones. We aim to significantly advance the field of sensory substitution. At present, replicating the sense of touch in electronic devices poses challenges because the existing technology is too bulky to stimulate the delicate touch receptors in human skin. As a result, the sensations produced feel unnatural and far from realistic. To address this challenge, we utilized the tool kits of materials chemistry, microfabrication engineering, and signal detection theory (STD), to create various types of sensation using ultra-low current with high accuracy. Using these new materials in wearable devices with realistic haptic cues can help amputees’ function; physical and mental problems can be addressed via virtual reality rehabilitation programs, that can be implemented in the patient’s familiar environment - his house. In addition, it may facilitate surgical training for complex surgeries (in the case of heart or brain pathologies, in which minimal harm to the functional tissue is critical) and telesurgery.
As bioelectronic devices become more common and interact with our bodies more deeply, there will be more discussions about ethics, privacy, and keeping our data secure. It's important to address these challenges responsibly to develop and use these technologies in the right way.