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Stretchable mesoporous electrodes as a versatile platform for minimally invasive surgical devices
Michael Abraham Listyawan1, Chi Cong Nguyen1, Tran Bach Dang1
1School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. hp.phan@unsw.edu.au.
Lab on a Chip
|April 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed flexible, mesoporous gold electrodes for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). These electrodes enhance biopotential measurement and electrical stimulation, improving MIS device performance and enabling new applications in cardiac and neural interventions.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Soft Robotics
Background:
- Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) benefits from integrated electronics for enhanced functionality.
- Existing sensor-integrated catheters have limitations including increased profile and inconsistent performance.
- Soft electronics offer potential for improved in situ biopotential measurement, electrical stimulation, and bioimpedance sensing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop flexible electrodes with enhanced properties for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) applications.
- To integrate these electrodes into a soft robotic catheter system for improved maneuverability and stability.
- To demonstrate the system's potential for various biomedical applications including recording and stimulation.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of flexible electrodes using mesoporous gold as a functional layer.
- Integration of electrodes into a soft robotic catheter driven by microfluidic channels.
- Evaluation of electrode performance (impedance, charge injection) and system stability under bending conditions.
- In vitro and ex vivo testing for applications like field potential measurement, bioimpedance sensing, and cardiac pacing.
Main Results:
- Mesoporous gold electrodes exhibit enhanced surface impedance for recording and high charge injection capacity for stimulation.
- The integrated soft robotic catheter demonstrates electrical and mechanical stability across various bending conditions.
- The system maintains a low profile suitable for minimally invasive procedures.
- Successful demonstration of field potential measurement, bioimpedance sensing, and cardiac pacing capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The developed flexible mesoporous gold electrodes are mechanically compliant and offer superior electrical characteristics for MIS.
- The soft robotic catheter system provides a maneuverable and stable platform for advanced MIS interventions.
- This technology holds significant potential for enhancing cardiac and neural MIS procedures through integrated sensing and stimulation.
