Bioresorbable Electronic Medicines

Additional Information:

A remarkable feature of modern integrated circuit
technology is its ability to operate in a stable fashion, with
almost perfect reliability, without physical or chemical
change. Recently developed classes of electronic
materials create an opportunity to engineer the opposite
outcome, in the form of ‘transient’ devices that dissolve,
disintegrate or otherwise disappear at triggered times or
with controlled rates. Water-soluble transient electronics
serve as the foundations for interesting applications in
zero-impact environmental monitors, 'green' consumer
electronics and bioresorbable biomedical implants. This
presentation describes the foundational concepts in
chemistry, materials science and assembly processes for
bioresorbable electronics in 1D, 2D and 3D architectures,
the latter enabled by approaches that draw inspiration from
the ancient arts of kirigami and origami. Wireless sensors
of intracranial temperature, pressure and electrophysiology
designed for use in treatment of traumatic brain injury and
nerve stimulators configured for accelerated neuroregeneration
provide application examples.