University of Oxford researchers have achieved a significant milestone in the development of miniature bio-integrated devices that can directly stimulate cells. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature.
Small bio-integrated devices that can interact with and stimulate cells have potential therapeutic applications, such as targeted drug delivery and accelerated wound healing. However, these devices require a power source to function. Until now, there has been no efficient method to provide power at the microscale level.
To address this challenge, researchers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Chemistry have created a miniature power source capable of altering the activity of cultured human nerve cells. Taking inspiration from electric eels, the device utilizes internal ion gradients to generate energy.
The miniaturized soft power source is produced by depositing a chain of five nanoliter-sized droplets of a conductive hydrogel, which is a 3D network of polymer chains containing a large amount of absorbed water. Each droplet has a different composition, creating a salt concentration gradient across the chain. Lipid bilayers separate the droplets, providing mechanical support while preventing ion flow between them.
The power source is activated by cooling the structure to 4°C and changing the surrounding medium. This disrupts the lipid bilayers and causes the droplets to form a continuous hydrogel, allowing ions to move through the conductive hydrogel from the high-salt droplets at the ends to the low-salt droplet in the middle.
2023-08-30 23:00:03
Source from phys.org