Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech

Soft Bioelectronic Mesh Tested On Human Wrist And Pig’s Heart

August 13, 2018 By Institute for Basic Science

A research team at the Center for Nanoparticle Research, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), has succeeded in developing a wearable and implantable device, that measures electrophysiological signals and applies electrical and thermal stimulations. It provides information on muscle and cardiac dysfunctions, and thus could be implemented for pain relief, rehabilitation, and prosthetic motor control. Being the first soft implant able to record the cardiac activity in multiple points of a swine heart, it is expected that this prototype, described in Nature Nanotechnology, will contribute to the research and production of future bioelectronics.

IBS researchers have used this new device on human skin to record the electrical activity of heart and muscles, that is electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) respectively. Thanks to its softness, elasticity and stretchability, it can follow the contours of flexible joints, such as the wrist. Worn on a forearm, it simultaneously monitored EMG signals, and delivered electrical and/or thermal stimulations that could be employed in therapeutic applications.

The research team has also produced a customized large mesh that fits the lower part of a swine heart. Wrapped around the heart, the implant can read signals from the entire organ to identify possible lesions and help recovery. For example, it was able to register the change of ECG signal caused by an acute heart attack. The mesh is stable during repetitive heart movements and does not interfere with the heart’s pumping activity.

The mesh implanted around a pig’s heart was able to record cardiac activity in multiple points. The electrocardiogram (ECG) produced by the device detected an abnormality (ST elevation) caused by an acute heart attack (ischemia). CREDIT Institute for Basic Science (IBS)

“Although various soft cardiac devices have been reported for the rat heart. This study on pigs can approximate human physiology more accurately,” says CHOI Suji, first co-author of the study. “We aim to study heart diseases, and stimulate the heart more effectively by synchronizing cardiac pumping activity.”

This stretchable and conductive patch is created by gold-coated silver nanowires mixed with a type of rubber, called polystyrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS). Conventional silver wire-based conductive rubbers have had limited biomedical applications because silver is toxic to the body. In this study, the gold sheath prevents both silver’s leaching, and corrosion caused by air and biological fluids, such as sweat.

“We took advantage of silver’s high conductivity, SBS’ stretchability, and gold’s high biocompatibility,” explains HYEON Taeghwan, director of the Center and corresponding co-author. “Finding the right proportion of each material was the key to success.”

Future research plans include maximizing conductivity and stretchability even further by designing novel, non-toxic materials, and studying the therapeutic effect of the mesh in cardiac diseases.

New wearable device capable of recording the electrical activity of the heart and muscles, as well as delivering therapeutic electrical and thermal stimulations. It is suitable for flexible joints, like the wrist, and allows reliable heat transfer even when the wrist is flexed or extended. CREDIT Institute for Basic Science (IBS)

Related Articles Read More >

A small, thin sticker with a button that says press to start
Blue Spark’s TempTraq catches fevers faster. Fever prediction is next.
A small, square transducer array with an adhesive layer
MIT engineers develop wearable, stamp-sized ultrasound stickers for continuous imaging
Connected device design for the real world: Managing the development process
An automated external defibrillator (AED) on a medical demonstration dummy
FDA adds AEDs and other medical devices to shortage list

DeviceTalks Weekly.

August 5, 2022
DTW Medtronic's Greg Smith lays out supply chain strategies
See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

Enewsletter Subscriptions

Enewsletter Subscriptions

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to E-newsletter
  • Attend our Monthly Webinars
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • Med Tech Resources
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks Tuesdays
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • The Big 100
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Video
  • 2022 Leadership in MedTech
    • 2022 Leadership Voting!
    • 2021 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
  • Women in Medtech