PFI-TT: Bioresorbable multi-functional optical sensor for brain implant

该PFI项目的广泛影响/商业潜力：在临床、手术和康复步骤中，使用各种传感器/监测技术来监测大脑功能和其他生理参数。然而，目前的传感器是硬的，刚性的，笨重的，并且依赖于脆弱的电缆，这些电缆可以作为污染创伤伤口感染的病灶。与此同时，相关的手术恢复过程费用昂贵，而且会使患者遭受与再次手术相关的痛苦，并使他们暴露于其他并发症。另一方面，生物可吸收电子设备可用于手术后器官、组织、植入物和伤口健康的监测，而无需手术取出，从而降低了手术过程中和手术后感染和并发症的风险。这项提议的创新将在医疗、安全和消费市场上开辟大量不同的应用。随着医疗保健和环境保护领域的革命性进步，生物可吸收电子产品可能在未来几年内更接近商业现实，从而产生广泛的社会和经济影响。在这些领域的技术领先地位将提高美国的经济竞争力，促进美国公众的健康和福利，加强学术界和工业界之间的伙伴关系，并发展具有全球竞争力的美国STEM劳动力。该项目旨在开发一种生物可吸收可植入的多功能光学探头，用于同时监测脑颅内压（ICP）、温度和氧合。该技术的最初目标市场是脑监测器，用于在严重创伤性脑损伤（TBI）后恢复期间对患者进行有效治疗。通过这个NSF PFI-PR项目，将解决光学、电子/光学材料、生物吸收过程、脑接口、先进制造和商业规模之间的各种技术挑战。本文提出的模块化设计方法包括可植入的生物可吸收探头与可插拔/柔性外部光学头耦合，以缩短产品设计周期并降低成本。完全生物可吸收的光学/温度传感器系统的自补偿设计将确保生理参数的准确读数，这些参数通常对环境变化敏感。内置自校准倏逝波导传感器对，实现自主的长期传感器精度。这种生物可吸收系统可以设计成具有特定的功能寿命，之后所有成分材料都完全生物吸收，从而消除了手术的需要，并消除了患者移除设备的相关风险。此外，电无源操作和完全抗电磁干扰是所提出的光学压力传感器的两个重要优点。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this PFI project: During clinical, surgical and rehabilitation steps, various sensor/monitor techniques are used to monitor brain function and other physiological parameters. However, current sensors are hard, rigid, bulky and dependent on fragile cables that can act as a nidus for infection in contaminated traumatic wounds. The associated surgical retrieval procedures, meanwhile, are costly and they subject patients to distress associated with re-operation and expose them to additional complications. On the other hand, bioresorbable electronics can be used for post-surgical monitoring of organ, tissue, implant, and wound health without the need for surgical extraction, thus reducing the risk of infection and complications during and after the surgical processes. The proposed innovation will open up numerous and diverse applications in medical, security, and consumer markets. Bioresorbable electronics can potentially move much closer to commercial reality in the next few years, with the promise of revolutionary advances in health care and environmental protection, resulting in broad social and economic impacts. Technology leadership in these areas will increase the economic competitiveness of the United States, advancing the health and welfare of the American public, enhancing partnerships between academia and industry, and developing an American STEM workforce that is globally competitive.The proposed project is to develop a bioresorbable bio-implantable multi-functional optical probe for simultaneous monitoring of brain intracranial pressure (ICP), temperature, and oxygenation. The initial target market of the technology is brain monitors for the efficient treatment of patients during recovery following a severe Traumatic brain injury (TBI). With this NSF PFI-PR project, various technical challenges at the interface between optics, electronic/optical materials, processes of bio-resorption, brain interfaces, advanced manufacturing, and commercial scaling will be addressed. The modular design approach proposed here involves an implantable bioresorbable probe head coupled to a pluggable/flexible external optical head, to shorten the product design cycle and reduce the cost. The self-compensating design for the fully bioresorbable optical/temperature sensor system will ensure accurate readings of physiological parameters, which are typically sensitive to environmental variations. A built-in self-calibration evanescent waveguide sensor pair enables autonomous long-term sensor accuracy. This bioresorbable systems can be designed to have the specific functional lifetimes, after which all of the constituent materials under complete bio-absorption, thereby eliminating the need for surgery, and associated risks to the patient, to remove the devices. Additionally, electrically passive operation and complete immunity to electromagnetic interference represent two important advantages of the proposed optical pressure sensors.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.