Donut-Shaped Stretchable Kirigami: Enabling Electronics to Integrate with the Deformable Muscle

Area of Science:

• Bioelectronics
• Materials Science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Accurate biological signal recording, crucial for neuroscience and brain-machine interfaces, relies on electromyography (EMG).
• Conventional EMG electrodes exhibit high Young's modulus and tissue displacement, hindering intimate integration and signal fidelity.
• Kirigami designs offer a solution to reduce the stiffness of stretchable electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel donut-shaped kirigami bioprobes for reduced displacement on muscle tissue.
• To assess the stability and signal recording capabilities of these bioprobes in in vivo conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of donut-shaped kirigami bioprobes with enhanced stretchability and flexibility.
• Testing device displacement on an expanding balloon model.
• Embedding the bioprobes in a dissolvable scaffold for ease of use.
• Conducting in vivo experiments to record EMG signals in animal models.

Main Results:

• The kirigami bioprobes demonstrated no significant displacement on the expanding balloon model.
• The dissolvable scaffold facilitated easy handling and implantation of the stretchable devices.
• Stable and accurate EMG signal recordings were achieved in in vivo experiments.

Conclusions:

• Donut-shaped kirigami bioprobes effectively minimize device displacement on muscle surfaces.
• These bioprobes offer a promising solution for stable and robust EMG signal acquisition in biological applications.
• The developed kirigami device enhances the integration of bioelectronic devices with biological tissues.