Extending the Reach of Bioelectronic Implants

Significant advances have been made in the last two decades in interfacing electronic devices with the nervous system. To that end, research efforts are being pursued to develop minimally invasive, implantable bioelectronic devices integrating sensing, stimulating, and dynamic control of geometry. Here we report recent developments towards such multimodal devices for neural interfacing that take full advantage of the favorable properties offered by flexible electronics, conducting polymers and polymer substrates. It is shown that thin, flexible devices can incorporate microfluidic channels to enable new sensing and therapeutic functionalities. One such technology leverages the mixed conducting properties of conducting polymers for applications in ultra-low frequency stimulation for nerve regeneration. Furthermore, we show fluidic components can open the door to novel implantation strategies that can reduce the surgical footprint required for implantation of widely used bioelectronic devices. We anticipate this work will accelerate the development of a new generation of bioelectronic devices for diagnostics and therapy.