Ultrasoft and Highly Stretchable Electronics for Better Healthcare

可穿戴电子产品具有超低柔软度和高拉伸性，可与活体生物系统无缝集成，并提供独特的功能，如多模态传感和刺激。对于可穿戴和植入式应用，理想的电子设备应该设计成与我们皮肤/组织的机械特性相匹配，并适应由身体运动引起的应力/应变。此外，还应将多模态传感能力集成在同一基板上，以实现多功能系统。这项研究计划的总体目标是开发新型的超软和高度可拉伸的电子设备，用于可穿戴的物理/生物传感和植入式神经接口。利用我们在可拉伸传感器和电子产品方面的领先专业知识，我们的目标是探索两种超软和可拉伸材料的新型生物电子应用，双网络离子水凝胶和瓶刷弹性体（BBE），用于开发具有多模态感觉的集成可穿戴设备。具体的短期目标是：目标1：设计新型离子水凝胶物理/生物传感器，用于机械应变、温度、湿度、pH值和电解质的身体测量。目标2：开发一种基于离子水凝胶的皮肤伤口敷料，能够监测愈合并按需提供抗生素；并开发一种基于水凝胶的可穿戴康复状态监测设备。目的3：建立基于聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）的超软导电BBEs合成新策略；以及制造用于体内脑信号记录的基于导电脑电束的神经电极阵列。我的团队对基于水凝胶的可穿戴物理传感器进行了原创性研究。我们在合成超软导电bbe方面也取得了可喜的成果。这些专业知识和有希望的结果将确保我们成功地实现这个应用程序的拟议目标。该研究计划针对可拉伸电子领域的关键技术空白，并将产生新的知识，原始材料系统和新的可穿戴/植入式设备技术，以进一步推进该领域。我们将展示这些可穿戴和植入式设备的独特特性和功能，用于智能伤口敷料，用于康复的可穿戴物理/生物传感和体内神经信号测量；这些努力将为这些设备的实际应用奠定坚实的基础。这项研究的结果将最终导致创新的医疗设备，以改善医疗保健结果，并使加拿大社会受益。这项研究还将产生新的知识产权，这些知识产权可以授权给工业或通过衍生产品转化，从而为加拿大的经济做出贡献。新的材料和技术也将允许我的小组在这个发现基金的任期内或之外解决其他相关的开放科学问题（例如，软神经形态电子学）。

Wearable electronics with ultralow softness and high stretchability allow their seamless integration with living biological systems and deliver unique functionalities such as multimodal sensing and stimulation. For wearable and implantable applications, ideal electronic devices should be designed to match the mechanical properties of our skin/tissues and accommodate the stress/strain induced by body motions. In addition, multimodal sensing capability should be integrated on the same substrate to realize multifunctional systems. The overarching goal of this research program is to develop new types of ultrasoft and highly stretchable electronics for wearable physical/biosensing and implantable neural interfaces. Leveraging our leading expertise in stretchable sensors and electronics, we aim to explore the novel bioelectronic use of two ultrasoft and stretchable materials, double-network ionic hydrogel and bottlebrush elastomer (BBE), for developing integrated wearable devices with multimodal sensation. Specific short-term goals are: Aim 1: To design novel ionic hydrogel-based physical/biosensors for on-body measurement of mechanical strain, temperature, humidity, pH, and electrolytes. Aim 2: To develop an ionic hydrogel-based skin wound dressing capable of healing monitoring and on-demand antibiotic delivery; and to develop a hydrogel-based wearable device for rehabilitation condition monitoring. Aim 3: To develop a new strategy for synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based, ultrasoft conductive BBEs; and to fabricate a conductive BBE-based neural electrode array for in-vivo brain signal recording. My group has performed original research on hydrogel-based wearable physical sensors. We have also obtained promising results on the synthesis of ultrasoft conductive BBEs. These expertise and promising results will ensure us to successfully accomplish the proposed objectives of this application. This research program targets the key technological gaps in the area of stretchable electronics, and will produce new knowledge, original material systems, and novel wearable/implantable device technologies to further advance the field. We will demonstrate the unique properties and functionalities of these wearable and implantable devices for smart wound dressing, wearable physical/biosensing for rehabilitation, and in-vivo neural signal measurement; these efforts will lay solid foundation for practical use of these devices. The results from this research will eventually lead to innovative medical devices to improve healthcare outcomes and benefit the Canadian society. The research will also generate new intellectual properties that could be licensed to industry or translated through spin-offs, and thus contribute to the economy of Canada. The new materials and technologies will also allow my group to tackle other related open scientific problems (e.g., soft neuromorphic electronics) within and beyond the tenure of this Discovery Grant.