EFRI-BioFLEX: Tissue Engineered Flexible Sensors, Actuators and Electronics for Chronic Wound Management

柔性生物电子学（BioFlex）是一个新兴领域，在推进基础生命科学和提供许多临床应用急需的工具方面具有广泛的意义。柔性生物医学系统的关键应用领域之一是慢性伤口管理。智力优势：拟议项目旨在通过开发Bio-Flex智能敷料平台，利用柔性聚合物MEMS、传感器、生物材料、组织工程、微系统技术和微电子技术的进步，彻底改变伤口治疗。智能敷料由一个柔性/可拉伸平台组成，该平台具有嵌入式电子器件和一系列物理、化学和生物模块，能够在伤口微环境中进行传感（物理和化学）和主动干预（生物、化学和物理）。该平台将几种治疗和监测模式整合在一个适形柔性基底上。更具体地说，在拟议的研究过程中，将开发PDMS/Parylene/水凝胶复合基板/平台，这是集成各种模块的基础。随后将设计物理，化学和驱动（电气，机械和化学）模块，以及微流体药物输送模块，将其集成到智能敷料平台上，以刺激和加速伤口愈合过程。此外，集成电子器件的结合使得刺激、感测、通信和RF能量收集能够长期使用。更广泛的影响：开发的平台将对整个生物医学界产生更广泛的影响。BioFlex慢性伤口管理平台将为日益增长的老年人群带来巨大的益处，这些人群对福尔斯导致的伤口高度敏感，退伍军人暴露于严重烧伤，运动相关损伤的运动员以及愈合反应差的糖尿病患者。在这一努力中开发的技术也将对其他应用产生影响，在这些应用中，电子和靶向药物输送与组织的紧密集成是必要的，以便实现有利的治疗和康复结果。这些包括中枢和外周神经系统的接口，中空器官的药物输送平台，以及集成的生物-非生物诊断微系统。在教育和外展领域，除了培养研究生外，本科生还将通过以下方式参与研究项目：（1）塔夫茨暑期学者计划（2）普渡大学的发现学习研究中心（DLRC）实习，（3）麻省理工学院的本科生研究机会计划（UROP）和（4）NSF REU计划。将通过各机构的方案，有针对性地招聘和留住工程/理科学生，重点是妇女、代表性不足的少数民族、残疾人和第一代大学生。具体而言，普渡大学的拉斐特地区学校合作伙伴关系，塔夫茨学生教师推广导师计划（STOMP）为K-12教育，麻省理工学院MSRP为代表性不足的少数民族和妇女的夏季研究和桥梁工程成功塔夫茨将有针对性的教育推广活动的一部分。将开发组织工程和BioMEMS领域的多机构多学科网络开放式课件。国际推广工作将侧重于交流想法和样本，以便在其他医疗应用中开发和使用这项先进技术。研究结果将通过网络媒体和印刷出版物广泛传播，并通过波士顿科学博物馆广泛传播。

Flexible bioelectronics (BioFlex) is an emerging area with broad implications in advancing basic life sciences and providing much needed tools in many clinical applications. One of the key application areas of flexible biomedical systems is in chronic wound management. Intellectual Merit: The proposed project aims to revolutionize wound treatment by utilizing advances in flexible polymeric MEMS, sensors, biomaterials, tissue engineering, microsystems technology, and microelectronics through the development of the Bio-Flex Smart-Dressing platform. The smart-dressing consists of a flexible/stretchable platform with embedded electronics and an array of physical, chemical, and biological modules capable of sensing (physical and chemical) and active intervention (biological, chemical, and physical) in wound microenvironment. This platform brings together several treatment and monitoring modalities on a conformal flexible substrate. More specifically, during the course of the proposed research, PDMS/Parylene/Hydrogel composite substrate/platform which forms the base for the integration of various modules will be developed. This will be followed by the design of physical, chemical and actuation (electrical, mechanical, and chemical) modules, and microfluidic drug delivery modules their integration onto the smart dressing platform to stimulate and expedite wound healing processes. Furthermore, the incorporation of integrated electronics enables stimulation, sensing, communication and RF energy scavenging for long-term use. Broader Impacts: The developed platform will have a broader impact to the biomedical community at large. The BioFlex platform for management of chronic wounds will be of immense benefit to a growing elderly population with high susceptibility to wounds due to falls, returning war veterans exposed to serious burns, athletes with sports related injuries, and diabetics with poor healing response. The technologies developed during this effort will also have impact in other applications where a close integration of electronics and targeted drug delivery with tissue is necessary in order to achieve favorable therapeutic and rehabilitative outcomes. These include interfaces for central and peripheral nervous systems, drug delivery platforms for hollow organs, and integrated biotic-abiotic diagnostic microsystems. In the education and outreach area, in addition to training graduate students, undergraduate students will be involved in research programs through (1) Tufts Summer Scholars Program (2) Purdue's Discovery Learning Research Center (DLRC) Internships, (3) MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and (4) NSF REU Program. Targeted recruitment and retention of engineering/science students with emphasis on women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities, and first-generation college students through programs at respective institutions will be carried out. Specifically, Purdue University's Lafayette area school partnership, Tufts Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program (STOMP) for K-12 education, MIT MSRP for underrepresented minorities and women for summer research and Bridge to Engineering Success at Tufts will be targeted as part of the educational outreach activities. Multi-institutional multi-disciplinary web-based open courseware in the area of tissue engineering and BioMEMS will be developed. International outreach efforts will focus on exchanging ideas and samples for the development and use of this developed technology in other medical applications. Research results will be widely disseminated through web media and print publications and disseminated broadly through Museum of Science, Boston.