CAREER: Midfield Wireless Powering of Subwavelength Probes for Neuroscience and Cardiology Applications

当电子设备与人体连接时，能提供强大的功能。在过去的几十年里，它们的小型化为能够进行生物传感或刺激的微型设备铺平了道路，并有望恢复患者的生理功能。虽然电子设备可以做得非常小，但现有的为它们供电的方法涉及大型电池或能量收集模块。这些供电元件的尺寸严重限制了生命系统中电子元件的集成。本提案中的研究旨在克服这些挑战，并使光电探针阵列足够小，可以直接注入体内。PI实验室最近建立的中场无线供电方法为小型化提供了途径。这些方法允许将能量传输到身体的几乎任何位置，其性能水平远远超过复杂电子和生理刺激的要求。该研究结合了对功率传输物理的基本理解和低功耗集成电路的进步，展示了微小但完全可操作的传感器、电极、光源、射频收发器和其他类型的可注射电子设备。这些能力代表了在应用物理学、无线技术和集成电路来应对生物学和医学挑战方面的巨大进步。更广泛的影响拟议的研究能够通过微小的设备将电子设备集成到身体中，提供以前无法获得的诊断和治疗选择，如微创手术和连续监测。这些功能将加速科学发现并提高整体医疗保健成本。为了最大限度地提高研究效益，研究结果将以公众（包括临床医生、患者和政策制定者）可以理解的格式进行综合；并通过网络平台广泛传播。机器人微系统的流行吸引力将在资助期间激励和激励高中生，以加强美国的STEM管道。这是通过当地K-12教师的实习来扩大影响，指导代表性不足的学生，以及为当地高中生举办机器人与生物医学应用的年度夏季研讨会来实现的。PI还将利用她在高中阶段指导女学生的经验，鼓励她们攻读更高的工程学位。

Intellectual MeritElectronics provide powerful capabilities when interfaced with the body. Their miniaturization over the past few decades has paved way for tiny devices capable of biological sensing or stimulation, and hold promise for restoring physiological functions in patients. Although electronics can be made extremely small, existing methods for powering them involve large batteries or energy harvesting modules. The size of these powering components severely constrains the integration of electronics in living systems. The research in this proposal aims to overcome these challenges and enable arrays of optoelectronic probes small enough to be directly injected into the body. Routes to miniaturization are provided by the midfield wireless powering approaches recently established in the PI's lab. These approaches allow the transfer of power to nearly any location in the body at performance levels far exceeding requirements for both complex electronics and physiological stimulation. The research combines a fundamental understanding of power transfer physics with advances in low-power integrated circuits to demonstrate tiny yet fully operational sensors, electrodes, light sources, RF transceivers, and other classes of injectable electronics. Such capabilities represent a considerable advance in applying physics, wireless technology, and integrated circuits towards addressing challenges in biology and medicines.Broader ImpactsThe proposed research enables the integration of electronics into the body through tiny devices, providing previously unavailable diagnostic and therapeutic options such as minimally invasive surgery and continuous monitoring. These capabilities will accelerate scientific discovery and improve overall healthcare cost. To maximize research benefits, results will be synthesized in formats understandable to the general public, including clinicians, patients, and policy makers; and widely disseminated through online platforms. The popular appeal of robotic microsystems, will be leveraged to motivate and inspire high school students over the grant period to strengthen the STEM pipeline in the U.S. This is done through the internship of local K-12 teachers to multiply impact, mentoring of underrepresented students, and an annual summer workshop on robotics with biomedical applications for local high school students. The PI will also leverage her experience in mentoring female students at the high school level to encourage them to pursue higher degrees in engineering.