Skin-inspired, sensory robots for electronic implants

Skin-inspired, sensory robots for electronic implants

05 June 2024 | Lin Zhang, Sicheng Xing, Haifeng Yin, Hannah Weisbecker, Hiep Thanh Tran, Ziheng Guo, Tianhong Han, Yihang Wang, Yihan Liu, Yizhang Wu, Wanrong Xie, Chuqi Huang, Wei Luo, Michael Demaesschalck, Collin McKinney, Samuel Hankley, Amber Huang, Brynn Brusseau, Jett Messenger, Yici Zou & Wubin Bai
This article presents a bio-inspired design of soft robots for electronic implants, integrating electronic skin (e-skin) and artificial muscles to enable multifunctional sensing and actuation. The robots are designed to mimic the integration of skeletal muscles and sensory skins in vertebrates, allowing for adaptive motion and stress-free contact with tissues. They are powered by a battery-free wireless module, enabling untethered operation. The robots demonstrate various applications, including a robotic cuff for blood pressure monitoring, a robotic gripper for bladder volume tracking, an ingestible robot for pH sensing and drug delivery, and a robotic patch for cardiac function quantification and electrotherapy. The design strategy involves an in-situ solution-based method to embed multiple sensing materials into a polymer matrix, creating a versatile platform that mimics skin with complex receptors. The robots feature a bilayer design with an e-skin layer and an artificial muscle layer, enabling dynamic reconfiguration and minimizing tissue damage during implantation. The e-skin layer is made of functional nanocomposites, while the artificial muscle is based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel, which can reversibly contract and relax upon activation. The robots are capable of wireless sensing and actuation, with a wireless power transfer system that allows for efficient energy harvesting and delivery. The soft robots are designed to interface with various internal organs, demonstrating their potential for medical applications such as urinary bladder dysfunction monitoring and treatment, blood pressure measurement, and drug delivery. The integration of sensing and actuation in these robots enables precise and adaptive interventions, highlighting their potential as next-generation electronic implants with physical intelligence.This article presents a bio-inspired design of soft robots for electronic implants, integrating electronic skin (e-skin) and artificial muscles to enable multifunctional sensing and actuation. The robots are designed to mimic the integration of skeletal muscles and sensory skins in vertebrates, allowing for adaptive motion and stress-free contact with tissues. They are powered by a battery-free wireless module, enabling untethered operation. The robots demonstrate various applications, including a robotic cuff for blood pressure monitoring, a robotic gripper for bladder volume tracking, an ingestible robot for pH sensing and drug delivery, and a robotic patch for cardiac function quantification and electrotherapy. The design strategy involves an in-situ solution-based method to embed multiple sensing materials into a polymer matrix, creating a versatile platform that mimics skin with complex receptors. The robots feature a bilayer design with an e-skin layer and an artificial muscle layer, enabling dynamic reconfiguration and minimizing tissue damage during implantation. The e-skin layer is made of functional nanocomposites, while the artificial muscle is based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel, which can reversibly contract and relax upon activation. The robots are capable of wireless sensing and actuation, with a wireless power transfer system that allows for efficient energy harvesting and delivery. The soft robots are designed to interface with various internal organs, demonstrating their potential for medical applications such as urinary bladder dysfunction monitoring and treatment, blood pressure measurement, and drug delivery. The integration of sensing and actuation in these robots enables precise and adaptive interventions, highlighting their potential as next-generation electronic implants with physical intelligence.
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