Motion Sensing by a Highly Sensitive Nanogold Strain Sensor in a Biomimetic 3D Environment

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Flexible Electronics

Background:

• Flexible electronics offer biocompatibility for biomedical applications.
• Mimicking biological environments is crucial for advanced sensing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a flexible electronic system for motion sensing in a biomimetic 3D environment.
• To integrate a self-healing hydrogel with a sensitive strain sensor for biomedical applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a gold nanoparticle (GNP) thin film on a polyurethane (PU) substrate using contact printing.
• Integration of the GNP-PU strain sensor with a chitosan-based hydrogel matrix.
• Sensing the motion of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocyte spheroids.

Main Results:

• The GNP-PU strain sensor exhibited high sensitivity (gauge factor ~50), stability, and waterproofing.
• The system successfully detected the beating of cardiomyocyte spheroids within the biomimetic hydrogel.
• Demonstrated proof-of-concept for flexible electronics in cardiac sensing.

Conclusions:

• The developed system showcases the potential of self-healing hydrogels and nanogold strain sensors in next-generation biomimetic flexible electronics.
• This technology offers promising insights for advanced cardiac monitoring and other biomedical applications.