UNIST Professor Jiyoon Kim’s team develops the world’s first paper-based wireless electrical stimulation material
It maintains its function even when folded and cut, and is also biodegradable.
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General overview of the paper-based wireless electrical stimulation device. Developed wireless electrical stimulation device (left). The electromagnetic nanoparticles are bonded to biodegradable nanofibers, and the microscopic structural orientation of the nanofibers can be controlled (top right). By bending or cutting the device, different macroscopic structures can be quickly obtained (center right). The finished device can be biodegraded after treatment (bottom right). Photo provided by Unist
A material has been developed for wireless electrical stimulation that can be customized by folding and cutting it like paper.
On the 9th, a team led by professors Jiyoon Kim, Chae-nyeong Cha and Myung-hoon Song from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology) announced that they had discovered the first flexible system in the world and biodegradable “paper-like electrical stimulation material” with wireless electrical stimulation function. Using nanomaterials, it can be used without losing functionality even if cut or bent.
Implantable electrical stimulation devices promote nerve cell activity and tissue regeneration through electrical stimulation. It is useful in the treatment of several diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. However, because existing devices rely on complexly connected solid electronic components, it was difficult to freely change their shape and size in real time. It also caused a foreign body reaction with the body’s soft tissues, so he had to undergo a complicated process, including surgery to remove it after treatment.
The research team succeeded in developing a “paper-based wireless electrical stimulation material” that can shape functional nanomaterials into various shapes in real time.
First, we synthesized magnetoelectric nanoparticles capable of generating electrical stimulation in response to an external magnetic field. It is a “core-shell” type nanocrystal synthesized by combining a core and a shell made of different materials.
The synthesized nanoparticles consist of a magnetostrictive core that causes voltage in response to an external magnetic field and a piezoelectric shell that converts this voltage into electrical stimulation. Using this feature you can deliver electrical stimulation inside the body wirelessly without a battery.
The research team combined the developed nanoparticles into biodegradable nanofibers that decompose easily. A biodegradable, porous material for wireless electrical stimulation has been created in the form of paper. Through in vitro experiments, the effect of wireless electrical stimulation and the effect of promoting nerve cell activity were simultaneously verified.
“The developed wireless electrical stimulation material enables precise treatment tailored to each individual’s needs and physical characteristics,” said first author Jun-gyu Choi, a postdoctoral researcher. “It simplifies the treatment process in the field of medical applications based on electrical stimulation and provides greater flexibility and” It will provide versatility, “he explained.
The material produced is soft and flexible like paper. It can stick tightly along an irregular, curved surface, like a brain model. Even if you cut it into the required shape and use it, it does not lose its functionality. Excellent processability was also demonstrated, enabling the production of a cylindrical nerve guide conduit with a radius of 400 micrometers to regenerate damaged nerves. The material can be customized based on the direction of the cells to be regenerated. The material produced controls the direction of regeneration of nearby neuronal cells, helping to provide a more effective treatment depending on the situation. It is also possible to control the rate of biodegradation. The characteristics are established based on the period for which electrical stimulation is necessary and, after this period, it biodegrades naturally.
Professor Kim Ji-yoon from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering said: “The developed material retains its original function and can be freely adjusted in size from tens of centimeters, which is the size of an organ, to micrometers, which it is the size of a nerve cell, furthermore, we will accelerate the development of effective and personalized solutions for the treatment of electrical stimulation”.
Dr. Junkyu Choi, Seontae Kim, and Dr. Ayoung Lee participated as first authors on this study. The research findings were officially published on May 2 in Advanced Materials, a world-renowned international academic journal, and were selected for the back cover. The research was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Ministry of Science and ICT.
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Researchers who have discovered the world’s first paper-based electrical stimulation material. From left in the top row, Professor Ji-yoon Kim, Professor Chae-nyeong Cha, first author, Researcher Jun-gyu Choi, and from left in the bottom row, A-young Lee and Researcher Seon-tae Kim. Photo provided by Unist
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