Mucosa-interfacing electronics

Abstract

The surface mucosa that lines many of our organs houses myriad biometric signals and, therefore, has great potential as a sensor–tissue interface for high-fidelity and long-term biosensing. However, progress is still nascent for mucosa-interfacing electronics owing to challenges with establishing robust sensor–tissue interfaces; device localization, retention and removal; and power and data transfer. This is in sharp contrast to the rapidly advancing field of skin-interfacing electronics, which are replacing traditional hospital visits with minimally invasive, real-time, continuous and untethered biosensing. This Review aims to bridge the gap between skin-interfacing electronics and mucosa-interfacing electronics systems through a comparison of the properties and functions of the skin and internal mucosal surfaces. The major physiological signals accessible through mucosa-lined organs are surveyed and design considerations for the next generation of mucosa-interfacing electronics are outlined based on state-of-the-art developments in bio-integrated electronics. With this Review, we aim to inspire hardware solutions that can serve as a foundation for developing personalized biosensing from the mucosa, a relatively uncharted field with great scientific and clinical potential.

Functional microneedles for wearable electronics

“…Moreover, to ensure the long-term stability and reliability of the microneedle biosensors, more human tests are required, and the testing time should be prolonged, which will promote the clinical and market translation. Lastly, with the advent of the digital era, it is a trend to link the microneedle biosensors to information technologies, [109][110][111][112] including cloud or fog computing, machine learning, data mining, neural network, etc., to establish extremely large databases and realize personalized medicine.…”

Wirelessly powered deformable electronic stent for noninvasive electrical stimulation of lower esophageal sphincter

“…E-Stent can be repositioned by an endoscopic operation through the mouth with minimal invasiveness. Despite that various adhesive strategies have been proposed for wet conditions (52)(53)(54), chronic retention remains the major challenge for mucosa-interfaced electronics due to the rapid cellular turnover rate and slippery and dynamic in vivo environment (55). Physical adherence approaches such as hooked needles interfacing with epithelial cells that have lower turnover rates are another promising solution to enable month-long retention (25,26).…”

Soft robot-enabled controlled release of oral drug formulations

“…94 Non-drug-based electronic devices also provide new forms of disease treatment. [95][96][97] Combining the latest wireless technology, users can realize real-time interaction with robots and deploy a responsive medication that reports disease status in real-time, coupled with remote control or automated treatment. Such intelligent ODDSs with sensory feedback can lead to intelligent closed-loop drug delivery for treating acute and chronic diseases, and take health management to the next level.…”