A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process
Biosensor technologies are of great interest for applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics and implantable biomedical devices. To accelerate the adoption of electronics for chronic recording of physiological parameters in health and disease, there is a demand for biocompatible, conductive...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elsevier
2021-08-01
|
Series: | Materials & Design |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521002525 |
id |
doaj-ee21dbc6c0d74e799eaf4a1f1e92dfa8 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-ee21dbc6c0d74e799eaf4a1f1e92dfa82021-06-17T04:45:01ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752021-08-01206109700A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing processJames Britton0Katarzyna Krukiewicz1Malu Chandran2Jorge Fernandez3Anup Poudel4Jose-Ramon Sarasua5Una FitzGerald6Manus J.P. Biggs7Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland; Corresponding authors at: Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland.Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland; Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, M.Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; Corresponding authors at: Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland.Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, IrelandPolimerbio, S.L, Paseo Mikeletegi 83, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastian, SpainCentre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, IrelandDepartment of Mining-Metallurgy Engineering and Materials Science, POLYMAT, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), School of Engineering, Alameda de Urquijo s/n, 48013 Bilbao, SpainCentre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, IrelandCentre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland; Corresponding authors at: Centre for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland, Galway, Newcastle Road, H91 W2TY Galway, Ireland.Biosensor technologies are of great interest for applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics and implantable biomedical devices. To accelerate the adoption of electronics for chronic recording of physiological parameters in health and disease, there is a demand for biocompatible, conductive & flexible materials that can integrate with various tissues while remaining biologically inert. Conventional techniques used to fabricate biosensors, such as mask lithography and laser cutting, lack the versatility to produce easily customisable, micro-fabricated biosensors in an efficient, cost-effective manner. In this paper, we describe the development and characterisation of an electronic ink made from an environmentally sustainable copolymer - ω-pentadecalactone-co-ε-decalactone, (PDL) incorporating silver nanowires (AgNW), which are known for their antimicrobial and conductive properties. The composites were shown to possess a low percolation threshold (1% w/w of AgNW to PDL), achieve a low electrical resistance (320 ± 9 Ω/sq) and a high electrical capacitance (2.06 ± 0.06 µF/cm2). PDL nanocomposites were biocompatible, demonstrated in vitro through the promotion of neural adhesion and prevention of astrocyte activation. An optimised ink formulation was subsequently used to fabricate strain-responsive biosensors with high spatial resolution (sub – 100 µm) using a direct write additive manufacturing process. Using a customized in vitro set-up, the sensitivity of these biosensors to biologically-relevant strains was assessed under simulated physiological conditions for 21 days. Critically, these 3D printed biosensors have applications in chronic prophylactic monitoring of pressure changes within the body and related pathologies.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521002525BiosensorsDirect-writeCytocompatibilityConductive inksEnvironmentally sustainable polymersNanocomposites |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
James Britton Katarzyna Krukiewicz Malu Chandran Jorge Fernandez Anup Poudel Jose-Ramon Sarasua Una FitzGerald Manus J.P. Biggs |
spellingShingle |
James Britton Katarzyna Krukiewicz Malu Chandran Jorge Fernandez Anup Poudel Jose-Ramon Sarasua Una FitzGerald Manus J.P. Biggs A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process Materials & Design Biosensors Direct-write Cytocompatibility Conductive inks Environmentally sustainable polymers Nanocomposites |
author_facet |
James Britton Katarzyna Krukiewicz Malu Chandran Jorge Fernandez Anup Poudel Jose-Ramon Sarasua Una FitzGerald Manus J.P. Biggs |
author_sort |
James Britton |
title |
A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
title_short |
A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
title_full |
A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
title_fullStr |
A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
title_full_unstemmed |
A flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
title_sort |
flexible strain-responsive sensor fabricated from a biocompatible electronic ink via an additive-manufacturing process |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
Materials & Design |
issn |
0264-1275 |
publishDate |
2021-08-01 |
description |
Biosensor technologies are of great interest for applications in wearable electronics, soft robotics and implantable biomedical devices. To accelerate the adoption of electronics for chronic recording of physiological parameters in health and disease, there is a demand for biocompatible, conductive & flexible materials that can integrate with various tissues while remaining biologically inert. Conventional techniques used to fabricate biosensors, such as mask lithography and laser cutting, lack the versatility to produce easily customisable, micro-fabricated biosensors in an efficient, cost-effective manner. In this paper, we describe the development and characterisation of an electronic ink made from an environmentally sustainable copolymer - ω-pentadecalactone-co-ε-decalactone, (PDL) incorporating silver nanowires (AgNW), which are known for their antimicrobial and conductive properties. The composites were shown to possess a low percolation threshold (1% w/w of AgNW to PDL), achieve a low electrical resistance (320 ± 9 Ω/sq) and a high electrical capacitance (2.06 ± 0.06 µF/cm2). PDL nanocomposites were biocompatible, demonstrated in vitro through the promotion of neural adhesion and prevention of astrocyte activation. An optimised ink formulation was subsequently used to fabricate strain-responsive biosensors with high spatial resolution (sub – 100 µm) using a direct write additive manufacturing process. Using a customized in vitro set-up, the sensitivity of these biosensors to biologically-relevant strains was assessed under simulated physiological conditions for 21 days. Critically, these 3D printed biosensors have applications in chronic prophylactic monitoring of pressure changes within the body and related pathologies. |
topic |
Biosensors Direct-write Cytocompatibility Conductive inks Environmentally sustainable polymers Nanocomposites |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127521002525 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT jamesbritton aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT katarzynakrukiewicz aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT maluchandran aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT jorgefernandez aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT anuppoudel aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT joseramonsarasua aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT unafitzgerald aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT manusjpbiggs aflexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT jamesbritton flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT katarzynakrukiewicz flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT maluchandran flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT jorgefernandez flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT anuppoudel flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT joseramonsarasua flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT unafitzgerald flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess AT manusjpbiggs flexiblestrainresponsivesensorfabricatedfromabiocompatibleelectronicinkviaanadditivemanufacturingprocess |
_version_ |
1721374583393615872 |