Open AccessMorphing electronics enable neuromodulation in growing tissue
Author(s) -
Yuxin Liu,
Jinxing Li,
Shang Song,
Jiheong Kang,
Yuchi Tsao,
ShuCheng Chen,
Vittorio Mottini,
Kelly McConnell,
Wenhui Xu,
Yu-Qing Zheng,
Jeffrey B.H. Tok,
PaulLouis George,
Zhenan Bao
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
nature biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 15.358
H-Index - 445
eISSN - 1546-1696
pISSN - 1087-0156
DOI - 10.1038/s41587-020-0495-2
Subject(s) - electronics , morphing , biomedical engineering , regenerative medicine , biofabrication , computer science , materials science , medicine , tissue engineering , electrical engineering , engineering , stem cell , biology , artificial intelligence , genetics
Bioelectronics for modulating the nervous system have shown promise in treating neurological diseases 1-3 . However, their fixed dimensions cannot accommodate rapid tissue growth 4,5 and may impair development 6 . For infants, children and adolescents, once implanted devices are outgrown, additional surgeries are often needed for device replacement, leading to repeated interventions and complications 6-8 . Here, we address this limitation with morphing electronics, which adapt to in vivo nerve tissue growth with minimal mechanical constraint. We design and fabricate multilayered morphing electronics, consisting of viscoplastic electrodes and a strain sensor that eliminate the stress at the interface between the electronics and growing tissue. The ability of morphing electronics to self-heal during implantation surgery allows a reconfigurable and seamless neural interface. During the fastest growth period in rats, morphing electronics caused minimal damage to the rat nerve, which grows 2.4-fold in diameter, and allowed chronic electrical stimulation and monitoring for 2 months without disruption of functional behavior. Morphing electronics offers a path toward growth-adaptive pediatric electronic medicine.