Abstract

Implantable electronics are a class of medical devices of unrealized potential for monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment of health and disease. Although some devices have been commercialized and are issued as the standard-of-care (e.g. pacemakers, cochlear implants), others like those for neuroprosthetics cannot make clinical impact until issues regarding life-time efficacy are addressed. Diminishing efficacy that occurs in long-term implantations is thought to be due to several factors including significant surgical trauma, an aggressive foreign body response, and poor material compatibility with the biological milieu (e.g. biofouling, dielectric degradation, metal corrosion). Such issues are exacerbated by the limited material palette available for electronic device design. In this talk, I will present my investigations of a new material for bioelectronics: liquid-infused elastomers. These materials yield a slippery, hydrophobic surface, and I will discuss how the unique material properties are advantageous for bioelectronic devices.