Pathway of transient electronics towards connected biomedical applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• Transient electronic devices offer unique capabilities for applications like hardware security and medical implants.
• The ability to control device degradation ('dissolve at will') enables on-demand transient electronics.
• These devices integrate diagnostics and therapeutics for advanced biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent developments in triggering strategies for controlling the degradation of on-demand transient electronics.
• To summarize bioresorbable sensors for medical diagnoses and therapeutic systems.
• To identify challenges and future opportunities in transient electronics for healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on triggering strategies (electrical, thermal, ultrasound, optical) for transient electronics.
• Summary of bioresorbable sensors for electrophysiology and neurochemical sensing.
• Analysis of therapeutic systems including electrical stimulation and drug delivery.
• Discussion of challenges such as signal decoupling, dissolution selectivity, and closed-loop systems.

Main Results:

• Significant advancements in triggering strategies allow controlled degradation of transient electronics.
• Bioresorbable sensors show promise for in-vivo diagnostics.
• Therapeutic systems like electrical stimulation and drug delivery are emerging.
• Key challenges remain in achieving multimodal signal decoupling, selective dissolution, and fully closed-loop systems.

Conclusions:

• On-demand transient electronics hold significant potential for secure hardware and advanced medical implants.
• Future opportunities lie in developing transient decoupling sensors, robust stimulus-selective devices, and AI-powered closed-loop systems.
• Addressing current challenges is crucial for integrating transient electronics into real-world healthcare infrastructure.