Skin-inspired, sensory robots for electronic implants.

Journal: Nature communications
PMID: 38839748

Abstract

Drawing inspiration from cohesive integration of skeletal muscles and sensory skins in vertebrate animals, we present a design strategy of soft robots, primarily consisting of an electronic skin (e-skin) and an artificial muscle. These robots integrate multifunctional sensing and on-demand actuation into a biocompatible platform using an in-situ solution-based method. They feature biomimetic designs that enable adaptive motions and stress-free contact with tissues, supported by a battery-free wireless module for untethered operation. Demonstrations range from a robotic cuff for detecting blood pressure, to a robotic gripper for tracking bladder volume, an ingestible robot for pH sensing and on-site drug delivery, and a robotic patch for quantifying cardiac function and delivering electrotherapy, highlighting the application versatilities and potentials of the bio-inspired soft robots. Our designs establish a universal strategy with a broad range of sensing and responsive materials, to form integrated soft robots for medical technology and beyond.

Authors

  • Lin Zhang
    Laboratory of Molecular Translational Medicine, Centre for Translational Medicine, Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Ministry of Education, Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects of Sichuan Province, West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China. Electronic address: zhanglin@scu.edu.cn.
  • Sicheng Xing
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Haifeng Yin
    MCAllister Heart Institute Core, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Hannah Weisbecker
    Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Hiep Thanh Tran
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Ziheng Guo
  • Tianhong Han
    Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27606, USA.
  • Yihang Wang
    Biophysics Program and Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
  • Yihan Liu
    Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech) 30 South Puzhu Road Nanjing 211816 P. R. China.
  • Yizhang Wu
    Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Wanrong Xie
    Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Chuqi Huang
    Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Wei Luo
    Centre for Pattern Recognition and Data Analytics, School of Information Technology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
  • Michael Demaesschalck
    Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Collin McKinney
    Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Samuel Hankley
    Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Amber Huang
    Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Brynn Brusseau
    Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Jett Messenger
    Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
  • Yici Zou
    Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA.
  • Wubin Bai
    Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.

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