Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1038/s41528-025-00526-0
Ruijian Ge, Yusheng Wang, Carlos Negron, Hanwen Fan, Fabien Maldonado, Caitlin T. Demarest, Victoria Simon, Yuxiao Zhou, Xiaoguang Dong
Airway stents play a vital role in managing central airway obstruction (CAO) caused by lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases by providing structural support to collapsed airways and restoring airflow. However, complications such as stent migration often require urgent medical intervention while early monitoring is essential to reduce the risk. Regular monitoring through bronchoscopy requires anesthesia in the hospital, which causes pain and an economic burden on patients. Computed tomography involves risky radiation and lacks the ability to provide continuous, real-time feedback outside of hospital settings. Here we report a fundamental mechanism of wireless tracking based on magnetic field in a wirelessly powered sensory ring integrated on an airway stent. The sensory ring is designed for continuous, real-time monitoring of stent position and orientation. This sensory ring, integrating an on-board magnetic sensor, and a wearable magnetic field generation system, enable accurate localization by detecting the magnetic field generated externally. The sensory ring is powered wirelessly via a charging coil, ensuring long-term operation. Our system achieves tracking accuracy of 0.5 mm and 2.2 degrees, with a temporal resolution of 0.2 Hz. Beyond migration monitoring, the sensor also detects airway deformation, offering the potential to sense pathological changes associated with lung cancer and other pulmonary conditions. By eliminating the need for radiation-based imaging or bronchoscopy, this approach enables safe, long-term surveillance of stent patency and surrounding tissue conditions. The proposed sensing mechanism and platform are also adaptable in other organs, such as the esophagus, for monitoring stent migration and deformation.
{"title":"A wireless implantable sensory ring for continuous airway stent migration tracking","authors":"Ruijian Ge, Yusheng Wang, Carlos Negron, Hanwen Fan, Fabien Maldonado, Caitlin T. Demarest, Victoria Simon, Yuxiao Zhou, Xiaoguang Dong","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00526-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00526-0","url":null,"abstract":"Airway stents play a vital role in managing central airway obstruction (CAO) caused by lung cancer and other pulmonary diseases by providing structural support to collapsed airways and restoring airflow. However, complications such as stent migration often require urgent medical intervention while early monitoring is essential to reduce the risk. Regular monitoring through bronchoscopy requires anesthesia in the hospital, which causes pain and an economic burden on patients. Computed tomography involves risky radiation and lacks the ability to provide continuous, real-time feedback outside of hospital settings. Here we report a fundamental mechanism of wireless tracking based on magnetic field in a wirelessly powered sensory ring integrated on an airway stent. The sensory ring is designed for continuous, real-time monitoring of stent position and orientation. This sensory ring, integrating an on-board magnetic sensor, and a wearable magnetic field generation system, enable accurate localization by detecting the magnetic field generated externally. The sensory ring is powered wirelessly via a charging coil, ensuring long-term operation. Our system achieves tracking accuracy of 0.5 mm and 2.2 degrees, with a temporal resolution of 0.2 Hz. Beyond migration monitoring, the sensor also detects airway deformation, offering the potential to sense pathological changes associated with lung cancer and other pulmonary conditions. By eliminating the need for radiation-based imaging or bronchoscopy, this approach enables safe, long-term surveillance of stent patency and surrounding tissue conditions. The proposed sensing mechanism and platform are also adaptable in other organs, such as the esophagus, for monitoring stent migration and deformation.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145968801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1038/s41528-025-00507-3
Te Xiao, Hanzhe Zhang, Taiki Takamatsu, Atsushige Ashimori, Saman Azhari, Kazuhiro Kimura, Takeo Miyake
In recent years, smart contact lenses as a type of wearable device have attracted significant attention in health monitoring and disease detection. In this study, we combine a resistive sensor based on a cracked PEDOT: PSS structure with a 70 MHz double-loop gold antenna, enabling high-precision and continuous measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP). By comprehensively optimizing the sensor design, device structure, and wireless detection system, we achieved a sensitivity of 47.31 Ω/mmHg—approximately 15 times higher than conventional approach, corresponding to a resistance change 183 times larger. Both in vitro wireless IOP measurements of a porcine eye and in vivo wireless IOP measurements of rabbit eyes altered by microbead injection, using a commercial tonometer and a fabricated sensor lens, showed a strong correlation with R² values of 93% and 97%, respectively. These findings highlight the platform’s potential for long-term, non-invasive IOP monitoring, thus making a significant contribution to early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.
{"title":"Ultra-sensitive real-time monitoring of intraocular pressure with an integrated smart contact lens using parity-time symmetry wireless technology","authors":"Te Xiao, Hanzhe Zhang, Taiki Takamatsu, Atsushige Ashimori, Saman Azhari, Kazuhiro Kimura, Takeo Miyake","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00507-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00507-3","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, smart contact lenses as a type of wearable device have attracted significant attention in health monitoring and disease detection. In this study, we combine a resistive sensor based on a cracked PEDOT: PSS structure with a 70 MHz double-loop gold antenna, enabling high-precision and continuous measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP). By comprehensively optimizing the sensor design, device structure, and wireless detection system, we achieved a sensitivity of 47.31 Ω/mmHg—approximately 15 times higher than conventional approach, corresponding to a resistance change 183 times larger. Both in vitro wireless IOP measurements of a porcine eye and in vivo wireless IOP measurements of rabbit eyes altered by microbead injection, using a commercial tonometer and a fabricated sensor lens, showed a strong correlation with R² values of 93% and 97%, respectively. These findings highlight the platform’s potential for long-term, non-invasive IOP monitoring, thus making a significant contribution to early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"250 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1038/s41528-026-00528-6
Richard Fuchs, Nur-Adania Nor-Azman, Shi-Yang Tang, Priyank V. Kumar, Jianbo Tang, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh
Traditional rotary motors have been developed using a variety of technologies. Electrochemically fluidic motors based on liquid metals offer unique potential advantages to the field of rotary motors. Current designs, however, are limited in rotational speed due to suboptimal extraction of mechanical motion from the liquid metal. Here, we present an electrochemically driven liquid metal rotary motor that is conceptually distinct from previous approaches by incorporating a paddle directly inserted inside the liquid metal droplet. This design, driven by pulsed electric signals, takes advantage of the internal vortices of the droplet to directly generate rotation, achieving maximum rotational speeds of 320 rpm. By directly coupling the paddle to the internal flow dynamics, this work demonstrates a more efficient and practical method for liquid metal-based actuation in an electrochemical setting. Such a system has potential applications in microfluidics and soft systems and introduces a new conceptual approach to rotary motor design.
{"title":"A liquid metal droplet rotary paddle motor","authors":"Richard Fuchs, Nur-Adania Nor-Azman, Shi-Yang Tang, Priyank V. Kumar, Jianbo Tang, Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh","doi":"10.1038/s41528-026-00528-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-026-00528-6","url":null,"abstract":"Traditional rotary motors have been developed using a variety of technologies. Electrochemically fluidic motors based on liquid metals offer unique potential advantages to the field of rotary motors. Current designs, however, are limited in rotational speed due to suboptimal extraction of mechanical motion from the liquid metal. Here, we present an electrochemically driven liquid metal rotary motor that is conceptually distinct from previous approaches by incorporating a paddle directly inserted inside the liquid metal droplet. This design, driven by pulsed electric signals, takes advantage of the internal vortices of the droplet to directly generate rotation, achieving maximum rotational speeds of 320 rpm. By directly coupling the paddle to the internal flow dynamics, this work demonstrates a more efficient and practical method for liquid metal-based actuation in an electrochemical setting. Such a system has potential applications in microfluidics and soft systems and introduces a new conceptual approach to rotary motor design.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1038/s41528-025-00517-1
Raphael Panskus, Andrada Iulia Velea, Lukas Holzapfel, Christos Pavlou, Qingying Li, Chaoyi Qin, Flora Nelissen, Rick Waasdorp, David Maresca, Valeria Gazzola, Vasiliki Giagka
Neural interfaces that unify diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities hold particular promise for advancing both fundamental neuroscience and clinical neurotechnology. Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) has recently emerged as a powerful modality for high-resolution, non-invasive monitoring of brain function and structure. However, conventional metal-based microelectrodes typically impede ultrasound propagation, limiting compatibility with fUSI. Here, we present flexible, ultrasound-transparent neural interfaces that retain practical metal thicknesses while achieving high acoustic transparency. We introduce a theoretical and simulation-based framework to investigate the conditions under which commonly used polymers and metals in neural interfaces can become acoustically transparent. Based on these insights, we propose design guidelines that maximise ultrasound transmission through soft neural interfaces. We experimentally validate our approach through immersion experiments and by demonstrating the acoustic transparency of a suitably engineered interface using fUSI in phantom and in vivo experiments. Finally, we discuss the potential extension of this approach to therapeutic focused ultrasound (FUS). This work establishes a foundation for the development of multimodal neural interfaces with enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, enabling both scientific discovery and translational impact.
{"title":"Ultrasound-transparent neural interfaces for multimodal interaction","authors":"Raphael Panskus, Andrada Iulia Velea, Lukas Holzapfel, Christos Pavlou, Qingying Li, Chaoyi Qin, Flora Nelissen, Rick Waasdorp, David Maresca, Valeria Gazzola, Vasiliki Giagka","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00517-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00517-1","url":null,"abstract":"Neural interfaces that unify diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities hold particular promise for advancing both fundamental neuroscience and clinical neurotechnology. Functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI) has recently emerged as a powerful modality for high-resolution, non-invasive monitoring of brain function and structure. However, conventional metal-based microelectrodes typically impede ultrasound propagation, limiting compatibility with fUSI. Here, we present flexible, ultrasound-transparent neural interfaces that retain practical metal thicknesses while achieving high acoustic transparency. We introduce a theoretical and simulation-based framework to investigate the conditions under which commonly used polymers and metals in neural interfaces can become acoustically transparent. Based on these insights, we propose design guidelines that maximise ultrasound transmission through soft neural interfaces. We experimentally validate our approach through immersion experiments and by demonstrating the acoustic transparency of a suitably engineered interface using fUSI in phantom and in vivo experiments. Finally, we discuss the potential extension of this approach to therapeutic focused ultrasound (FUS). This work establishes a foundation for the development of multimodal neural interfaces with enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, enabling both scientific discovery and translational impact.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"131 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Conductive putty-like polymer composites have recently received considerable attention in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and energy storage due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties. Their viscoelasticity enables direct 3D printing of intricate, customizable conductive pathways, yet printing in high-viscosity polymer solutions remains challenging. Inspired by clay, we develop a moldable conductive polymer composite (MCPC) with tunable viscoelasticity, shear-thinning behavior, and high conductivity by blending liquid Ecoflex with graphite powders. By extruding MCPC onto liquid Ecoflex of various viscosities, we demonstrate a facile strategy for fabricating soft sensors with spatially controlled conductive pathways. These sensors exhibit a wide strain response (0.05%-150%), high sensitivity (gauge factor >15000), and nearly 100% electrical repeatability over 1000 cycles. They reliably monitor human movement and control robotic hands. Our approach provides a new strategy for fabricating soft sensors with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties, expanding possibilities for next-generation wearable and bio-integrated technologies.
{"title":"Adaptive 3D printing of moldable conductive polymer composite for highly sensitive soft sensors with a broad working range","authors":"Yuanhang Yang, Yuxuan Tang, Kai Xue, Junwei Li, Shun Duan, Changjin Huang","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00523-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00523-3","url":null,"abstract":"Conductive putty-like polymer composites have recently received considerable attention in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and energy storage due to their unique electrical and mechanical properties. Their viscoelasticity enables direct 3D printing of intricate, customizable conductive pathways, yet printing in high-viscosity polymer solutions remains challenging. Inspired by clay, we develop a moldable conductive polymer composite (MCPC) with tunable viscoelasticity, shear-thinning behavior, and high conductivity by blending liquid Ecoflex with graphite powders. By extruding MCPC onto liquid Ecoflex of various viscosities, we demonstrate a facile strategy for fabricating soft sensors with spatially controlled conductive pathways. These sensors exhibit a wide strain response (0.05%-150%), high sensitivity (gauge factor >15000), and nearly 100% electrical repeatability over 1000 cycles. They reliably monitor human movement and control robotic hands. Our approach provides a new strategy for fabricating soft sensors with enhanced mechanical and electrical properties, expanding possibilities for next-generation wearable and bio-integrated technologies.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145919993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1038/s41528-025-00520-6
Sohwi Kim, Chansoo Yoon, Jihoon Jeon, Woohyeon Ryu, Gwang Taek Oh, Bae Ho Park
Biological mechanoreceptors convert tissue strain into distinct spike trains. In contrast, their soft electronic counterparts still rely on discrete components for sensing, preprocessing, and neuronal firing. Here, we integrate these functional components into a single and scalable device by combining mechano-electric transduction and volatile threshold switching within an Ag/freestanding epitaxial SrTiO3/Pt membrane laminated onto a flexible polyethylene naphthalate substrate. Tensile strain (0–2.6%) lowers Ag⁺ migration energy and reduces the switching voltage from 1.04 to 0.24 V. Under constant bias, the spike frequency increases by more than two orders of magnitude, enabling tunable, self-oscillating ‘neurons’ operating below 100 pJ per spike, comparable to biological mechanoreceptors and ~25× more efficient than current flexible sensors. The device maintains its full functionality after over 400 bending cycles, demonstrating its potential as a mechanically programmable, ultralow-power building block for next-generation electronic skins, soft robotics, and bio-integrated prosthetics.
{"title":"Mechanosensory neuron implemented by a single freestanding epitaxial SrTiO3 capacitor","authors":"Sohwi Kim, Chansoo Yoon, Jihoon Jeon, Woohyeon Ryu, Gwang Taek Oh, Bae Ho Park","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00520-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00520-6","url":null,"abstract":"Biological mechanoreceptors convert tissue strain into distinct spike trains. In contrast, their soft electronic counterparts still rely on discrete components for sensing, preprocessing, and neuronal firing. Here, we integrate these functional components into a single and scalable device by combining mechano-electric transduction and volatile threshold switching within an Ag/freestanding epitaxial SrTiO3/Pt membrane laminated onto a flexible polyethylene naphthalate substrate. Tensile strain (0–2.6%) lowers Ag⁺ migration energy and reduces the switching voltage from 1.04 to 0.24 V. Under constant bias, the spike frequency increases by more than two orders of magnitude, enabling tunable, self-oscillating ‘neurons’ operating below 100 pJ per spike, comparable to biological mechanoreceptors and ~25× more efficient than current flexible sensors. The device maintains its full functionality after over 400 bending cycles, demonstrating its potential as a mechanically programmable, ultralow-power building block for next-generation electronic skins, soft robotics, and bio-integrated prosthetics.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145894933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1038/s41528-025-00506-4
Dandan Pei, Yang Dai, Fanqi Dai, Kui Liang, Yangyong Zhao, Yanzhao Li
Liquid metals (LMs) characterized with high conductivity and inherent deformability are potential materials for stretchable electronics and circuits. However, technological challenges associated with facile and efficient patterning of LMs currently impede their widespread implementation. Here, we present an environmentally friendly approach for the facile fabrication of stretchable conductors and circuits through the self-assembly of aqueous LM inks. This process leverages the anisotropic surface characteristics that drive the movement of the ink from hydrophobic to hydrophilic regions. Simultaneously, the ink with a stabilizer mitigated the premature deposition of LM particles. This culminated in the precise deposition of LM particles in accordance with the desired patterns on the substrate. The resulting LM patterns exhibit high resolution (<100 μm line width), high conductivity (2.0 × 10⁵ S m−1), and excellent electromechanical durability. Further demonstrated applications including stretchable displays, three-dimensional touch sensors and soft actuators showcase the versatility of this fabrication for stretchable electronics.
{"title":"Self-assembled aqueous liquid metal inks for stretchable conductors and circuits","authors":"Dandan Pei, Yang Dai, Fanqi Dai, Kui Liang, Yangyong Zhao, Yanzhao Li","doi":"10.1038/s41528-025-00506-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00506-4","url":null,"abstract":"Liquid metals (LMs) characterized with high conductivity and inherent deformability are potential materials for stretchable electronics and circuits. However, technological challenges associated with facile and efficient patterning of LMs currently impede their widespread implementation. Here, we present an environmentally friendly approach for the facile fabrication of stretchable conductors and circuits through the self-assembly of aqueous LM inks. This process leverages the anisotropic surface characteristics that drive the movement of the ink from hydrophobic to hydrophilic regions. Simultaneously, the ink with a stabilizer mitigated the premature deposition of LM particles. This culminated in the precise deposition of LM particles in accordance with the desired patterns on the substrate. The resulting LM patterns exhibit high resolution (<100 μm line width), high conductivity (2.0 × 10⁵ S m−1), and excellent electromechanical durability. Further demonstrated applications including stretchable displays, three-dimensional touch sensors and soft actuators showcase the versatility of this fabrication for stretchable electronics.","PeriodicalId":48528,"journal":{"name":"npj Flexible Electronics","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145894934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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