Wearable, battery-free, and wireless microneedle-based bioelectronics for robustly-integrated chronic wound management and therapeutic diagnosis

Abstract

Emerging microneedle-based platforms with advanced bioelectronics have gained unremitting attention as transdermal drug delivery systems for refractory chronic wound therapy, but exhibit significant limitations, such as simple functionality and insufficient wound-healing ability and adhesion to the skin. This study drew inspiration from beetle-tentacles to integrate triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and microneedling technology to nano-engineer a wearable, battery-free, and wireless smart tree-shaped rivet-like multilayer hydrogel-based electroactive microneedle bioelectronics (GP-eMN) for precise drug-release, TENG-driven electrostimulation, and visual wound-condition assessment for robust chronic wound-management and therapeutic diagnosis. GP-eMN exhibits outstanding biocompatibility and adjunctive multifunctional therapeutic characteristics, including ascendant antimicrobial and pro-migratory properties. Owing to the bionic structure-design, GP-eMN is mechanically interlocked with the dermis for effective, long-lasting drug-delivery and rapid uptake of interstitial fluids. Moreover, GP-eMN achieves significant wound-diagnosis and wireless real-time assessment by simultaneously detecting uric acid, pH, and glucose at wound-sites. Comprehensive in vivo experiments demonstrated that GP-eMN can effectively regulate the wound-microenvironment, provide battery-free TENG-driven electrostimulation to availably enhance wound-healing, and monitor wound biomarkers in real-time for diagnosis. In conclusion, this microneedle-based bioelectronics offers promising prospects for personalized and precise medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions, representing a major advancement in chronic wound-management approaches.