A soft multimodal optoelectronic array interface for multiparametric mapping of heart function in vivo

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Multiparametric investigation of cardiac physiology is essential for diagnosing and treating heart disease.
• Current methods lack the ability to simultaneously map multiple physiological parameters in vivo from beating hearts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel wireless cardiac sensing platform for simultaneous multiparametric mapping of cardiac physiology in vivo.
• To address the challenge of simultaneously measuring electrical activity, calcium dynamics, and their effects on cardiac function.

Main Methods:

• Utilized advanced fabrication and assembly strategies for heterogeneous integration of microelectrodes, LEDs, photodiodes, and optical filters on soft substrates.
• Developed transparent microelectrodes with superior electrochemical performance for electrical potential measurement and fluorescence detection.
• Demonstrated biocompatibility and fluorescence recording capabilities comparable to imaging cameras.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated multiparametric in vivo mapping of electrical excitation and calcium dynamics in beating hearts.
• Showcased the platform's ability to analyze cardiac excitation-contraction coupling during normal rhythm, arrhythmia, and therapeutic interventions.
• Validated the performance of the integrated transparent microelectrodes for both electrical and optical measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed cardiac sensing platform enables simultaneous in vivo mapping of multiple physiological parameters, overcoming current limitations.
• This technology has the potential to significantly advance cardiac research, facilitate scientific discoveries, and improve clinical diagnostics and therapies for heart disease.