Surgically implantable electronic devices are critical to basic research in biomedicine and enable novel medical solutions for diagnosis and treatment. This rapidly growing field recently focuses on increasing miniaturization, multifunctionality and fidelity. Implantable devices that directly interface with organs present unique challenges to materials. Biocompatibility, toxicity, interface performance and mechanical durability in a demanding physiological environment needs to be united with extremely soft and conformable mechanics. Increasing capabilities of soft materials, miniaturized electronics, radios, and advanced ways to supply power are resulting in a new generation of implantable organ interfaces. This device class is poised to offer high fidelity readouts of physiological processes, enable stimulation and provide control over many organs to realize new therapeutic and diagnostic applications. Key to advances are materials and material systems that create implantables with mechanical properties closely matched to the target organ and at the same time deliver functionality that support high fidelity sensors and stimulators. Another key aspect for the proliferation of this device class is the control over device lifetime, anywhere from acute temporary needs to lifetimes matching those of the target subject. This symposium will provide a forum for the presentation of newest results in the areas of implantable materials, micro and nanoscaled devices, soft materials, novel active opto(electronic) materials, new solutions to passivation/encapsulation/packaging, and organ interface design.

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