Keynote Presentation

Skin is the body’s largest organ. It is responsible for the transduction of a vast amount of information. This conformable, stretchable, self-healable and biodegradable material simultaneously collects signals from external stimuli, such as pressure, pain, and temperature, and translates into spike-train signals. The development of electronic materials, inspired by the complexity of this organ is a tremendous, unrealized materials challenge. Furthermore, skin-like integrated circuits are necessary for neuromorphic signal processing to generate spike-train signals. However, the advent of organic-based electronic materials may offer a potential solution to this longstanding problem. Over the past decade, we have developed materials design concepts to add skin-like functions to organic electronic materials without compromising their electronic properties. An important discovery was nano-confined polymer semiconductors and conductors. This finding addressed the long-standing challenge of conformational disorder-limited charge transport with polymer electronic materials. It enabled us to introduce various skin-like functions while simultaneously increase polymer electronic material charge transport ability. The above fundamental understanding further allowed us to develop direct photo-patterning methods and fabrication processes for high-density large scale soft stretchable integrated circuits. In addition, we developed various soft sensors for continuous measurements, including pressure, strain, shear, temperature, electrophysiological and neurotransmitter sensors. The above sensors and integrated circuits are the foundations for soft bioelectronics and are enabling a broad range of new tools for medical devices, robotics and wearable electronics.

The emerging field of bioelectronic medicine provides an opportunity to use electronic hardware and software to intelligently sense and stimulate the nervous system, and thereby treat disease. I will summarize the challenges and opportunities of developing bioelectronic systems face that bridge basic science, regulated technology, and health care economics. This assessment motivates an innovation framework that leverages the unique capabilities of bioelectronic platforms -- from designing implantable scientific instruments that enable novel clinical neuroscience, to applying the resulting science to prototype new therapies. To provide an illustrative example of the innovation framework, I will highlight experiences from the “Picostim-DyNeuMo,” which is a collaborative, investigational research tool developed jointly by industry and academics. While the DyNeuMo gives a snapshot of research today, it also illustrates the need for neuromorphic principles and processes for future generations of devices, which will be discussed. I will draw upon examples from first-in-human clinical studies exploring challenging neurological disorders such as epilepsy, chronic pain, and disorders of consciousness to provide specific case examples.