Smart Threads for Tissue-Embedded Bioelectronics

Abstract

Conventional medicine relies on a one-size-fits-all standard of care which does not account for diffences in the complexity of disease between individuals and their responses to treatment. New and more effective approach for healthcare demands personalized approach to treatment. This requires measuring the relevant markers of health and disease including but not limited to the metabolic state of an individual, but also the overall diet/nutrition profile, physical activity, lifestyle, and the environmental parameters. Measurement is performed by a suite of sensors, both physical and chemical and their electronic interfaces, whereas treatments are prescribed in the form of drugs or change in diet/nutrition or exercise, with the goal of improving the health of an individual in the shortest time. From a circuits and systems perspective, this resembles a closed loop feedback system with human as a complex dynamical system monitored by a suite of physical chemical and biological sensors and actuated via several treatments/therapies with precise timing, quantity and intesity. For such feedback system built with human-in-the-Ioop, the following requirements should be met: (1) Device should have an intimate reliable interface with human body and tissue (2) It should be bio-compatible (3) It should be minimally invasive and possibly inconspicous to the individual and (4) It should operate continuously or in real-time, commensurate with the underlying dynamics of the biomarker being monitored, and/or the timeliness and frequency at which treatment is being delivered. Flexible bioelectronics[2], [3] is an emerging area of research and development where devices for sensing, actuation, microfluidics, therapy, computing and communication are engineered for bio-integration to address the aforementioned fundamental challenges.