Seen here on the wing of a butterfly, this invention uses an organic polymer material that’s more compatible with sensitive living tissues than rigid, silicon-based medical devices.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Columbia University have developed a groundbreaking biocompatible sensor implant capable of monitoring neurological functions as patients grow.
The study introduces soft, conformable transistors embedded in a single organic material, paving the way for advanced, adaptable bioelectronics.
“For our innovation, we used organic polymer materials that are inherently closer to us biologically, and we designed it to interact with ions, because the language of the brain and body is ionic, not electronic,” said co-author Dion Khodagholy.
The problem with traditional implants
Conventional bioelectronics often rely on rigid, silicon-based transistors. Even though these techniques work adequately in recording electrical signals, they do so at the expense of bio-compatibility. Being rigid, bulky, and possibly even toxic, these devices have little applicability in implantation into the sensitive sites of the body, for example, in growing children, or where tissue growth or structural changes occur.
“Advanced electronics have been in development for several decades now, so there is a large repository of available circuit designs. The problem is that most of these transistor and amplifier technologies are not compatible with our physiology,” said Khodagholy.
To address these challenges, the researchers designed complementary, ion-gated, organic electrochemical transistors using a single biocompatible polymer. Unlike traditional methods that require multiple materials for handling different signal polarities, this innovation operates asymmetrically, enabling its use with just one material.
“A transistor is like a simple valve that controls the flow of current. In our transistors, the physical process that controls this modulation is governed by the electrochemical doping and de-doping of the channel,” said first author Duncan Wisniewski.
“By designing devices with asymmetrical contacts, we can control the doping location in the channel and switch the focus from negative potential to positive potential. This design approach allows us to make a complementary device using a single material.”
A leap forward in pediatric medicine
The transistors’ soft, flexible design allows the implants to conform to organ structures and remain effective as tissues grow or change.
The research group noted that their innovation is scalable and adaptable for different applications. With the employment of one single polymer, it does not only reduce the complexity of the design construction but it also enables the product to be mass manufactured and used for neurological monitoring purposes as well as other biopotential processes.
“This characteristic will make the device particularly useful in pediatric applications,” said co-author Jennifer Gelinas. Traditional silicon-based implants struggle in this area, often failing as the body changes.
Soft bioelectronics demonstrated high-quality acquisition and processing of biological signals, suggesting applications far beyond their initial neurological focus. According to Khodagholy, these ion-gated transistors could replace bulky, non-biocompatible components in bioelectronic devices, transforming how medical technology interacts with the body.
Utilizing organic polymers and unique designs, this paper represents great progress in the field of bioelectronics. These soft, scalable implants not only promise better integration with living tissues but also broaden the scope of medical applications, from treating neurological conditions to revolutionizing pediatric care.
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The study has been published in Nature Communications.
