tissueelectronics

Tissue electronics is a field of study and technology development focused on electronic devices and systems that can operate in and with living tissue. It encompasses implantable and non-invasive, skin-mounted and tissue-integrated platforms designed to monitor physiological conditions, stimulate biological tissue, or deliver therapies with high spatiotemporal resolution. The overarching goal is to achieve seamless mechanical and chemical compatibility between electronic devices and soft, wet living tissue to minimize irritation and improve signal quality and safety.

Technologies commonly used include ultrathin, flexible or stretchable electronics; biocompatible polymers and hydrogels; bioresorbable materials for temporary implants; and conductive nanomaterials such as graphene or conducting polymers. Fabrication methods often employ thin-film deposition, transfer printing, microfabrication on compliant substrates, and increasingly, printing or 3D printing techniques to create conformal, tissue-like devices. Advancements address power and communication challenges through wireless data links and energy harvesting or enzymatic energy solutions.

Applications span health monitoring (electrocardiography, temperature, biochemical sensors), neural interfaces and brain-computer interfaces, cardiac and muscular stimulation, wound healing and tissue regeneration, and organ-on-a-chip systems that integrate sensors with living tissue for research and drug testing.

Challenges include long-term biocompatibility and stability, immune response management, sterilization, device retrieval or degradation for transient implants, regulatory pathways, and data privacy. The field integrates materials science, electrical engineering, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering and is characterized by rapid development in soft, transient, and biointegrated devices with potential to advance personalized medicine and medical diagnostics.