Biodegradable Field-Effect Transitors for Electronically Active Scaffolds

描述（由申请人提供）：电刺激已被证明是控制组织和器官的结构和功能的有价值的方法。微机电系统（MEMS）已广泛应用于生物医学工程，包括在生物传感器和药物输送系统中的应用。然而，缺乏可报告的电子系统限制了MEMS对组织工程应用的潜在影响。这种限制主要是由于使用了不合适的材料。设计用于生物医学应用的MEMS已经使用传统的无机材料如硅和二氧化硅制造。不可降解的聚合物，如聚乙烯、硅酮和聚四氟乙烯也已被使用。虽然这些材料易于制造技术并表现出体内生物相容性，但它们不是生物可降解的。用于体内组织工程和器官再生应用的可生物降解的电子活性组织工程支架的制造具有显著影响的潜力，特别是在基于神经的创伤和疾病的治疗中。为此，该提案旨在利用新型生物材料制造可吸收场效应晶体管，其将作为更复杂电子设备的构建模块，包括电子活性组织工程支架。现有的天然和合成生物材料库提供了足够的物理特性，可以用于制造可生物降解的电子元件。这一技术进步将使可吸收电子元件能够用于各种体内生物医学应用，包括组织工程支架。这些支架可以接种细胞，植入宿主体内，并通过射频信号进行外部电刺激。然后，这些支架将在期望的时间范围内在宿主内再吸收。公共卫生宣传-电子活性组织工程支架可以提供一种通过电子刺激促进组织再生的方法。具有嵌入式逻辑的生物可降解电子设备可以导致临时植入式设备，其可以通过外部触发向接种在支架上的细胞以及周围组织提供电子刺激。支架可以植入，在预先编程的时间尺度上发挥其特定功能，然后最终在体内被再吸收。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Electronic stimulation has been shown to be a valuable approach to controlling the structure and function of tissues and organs. Micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS) have been utilized extensively in biomedical engineering including applications in biosensors and drug delivery systems. However, the lack of reportable electronic systems has limited the potential impact of MEMS for tissue engineering applications. This limitation primarily arises due to the use of unsuitable materials. MEMS designed for biomedical applications have been fabricated using traditional inorganic materials such as silicon and silicon dioxide. Non-degradable polymers such as polyethylene, silicone, and polytetrafluoroethylene have also been used. Although these materials are amenable to facile fabrication techniques and exhibit in vivo biocompatibility, they are not biodegradable. The fabrication of biodegradable, electronically active tissue engineering scaffolds for in vivo tissue engineering and organ regeneration applications has the potential for significant impact, especially in the treatment of neurological-based traumas and diseases. Toward this end, this proposal aims to utilize novel biomaterials for the fabrication of resorbable field-effect transistor, which is to serve as the building block of more complex electronic devices including electronically active tissue engineering scaffolds. The current library of available biomaterials, both natural and synthetic, provides an adequate spectrum of physical properties that would allow for the fabrication of biodegradable electronic components. This technological advance will enable the use resorbable electronic components for a variety of in vivo biomedical applications including tissue engineering scaffolds. These scaffolds could be seeded with cells, implanted into the host, and electrically stimulated externally via radiofrequency signalling. These scaffolds would then resorb within the host within the desired timeframe. PUBLIC HEALTH REVELANCE - Electronically active tissue engineering scaffolds can provide a method to promote tissue regeneration through electronic stimulation. Biodegradable electronic devices with embedded logic could lead to temporary implantable devices that can provide electronic stimulation to cells seeded on the scaffold as well as surrounding tissue via external triggering. The scaffolds could be implanted, serve their specified function over a pre-programmed time scale, and would then eventually become resorbed within the body.