Integrated, Transparent Silicon Carbide Electronics and Sensors for Radio Frequency Biomedical Therapy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Minimally Invasive Surgery

Background:

• Current therapeutic endoscopy systems lack multifunctionality, biocompatibility, and safety for integrated bioelectronic devices.
• Advanced diagnostics and treatments for digestive disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers require improved surgical tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop transparent and stable cubic silicon carbide (3C-SiC)-based bioelectronic systems for integration into endoscopic devices.
• To evaluate the efficacy of these systems for tissue ablation and peripheral nerve stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of transparent SiC-on-glass (SoG) bioelectronic systems.
• Testing of SoG systems for tissue ablation on phantom, vegetable, and animal tissues.
• In vivo experiments for peripheral nerve stimulation in an animal model.

Main Results:

• SoG bioelectronic systems demonstrated effective tissue ablation with short treatment times and low electric fields.
• The system's optical transparency allowed direct observation during procedures.
• In vivo experiments showed successful peripheral nerve stimulation, indicating potential for neural disorder therapy.

Conclusions:

• Transparent 3C-SiC-based bioelectronic systems offer a multifunctional, biocompatible, and safe platform for minimally invasive surgery.
• These SoG devices have high potential for enhancing surgical tools in various biomedical applications.
• The technology shows promise for cost-effective and outcome-enhanced treatments, including electrical-based ablation and neural disorder therapy.