Medical Design Briefs - July 2022 - 31

n Hybrid Material Enables
Next-Gen E-Skin
n Understanding Titanium's
Biocompatibility
Researchers have develA
3-in-1 hybrid material enables the
next generation of smart, artificial
skin. (Credit: Lunghammer/TU Graz)
oped three-in-one hybrid material
smart skin for the next
generation of artificial, electronic
skin using a novel process.
With 2,000 individual
sensors per square millimeter,
the hybrid material is even
more sensitive than a human
fingertip. Each sensor consists of a unique combination of materials:
a smart polymer in the form of a hydrogel inside and a
shell of piezoelectric zinc oxide.
The hydrogel can absorb water and thus expands upon
changes in humidity and temperature. In doing so, it exerts
pressure on the piezoelectric zinc oxide, which responds to this
and all other mechanical stresses with an electrical signal. The
result is a wafer-thin material that reacts simultaneously to
force, moisture, and temperature with extremely high spatial
resolution and emits corresponding electronic signals.
The individual sensor layers are very thin and at the same
time equipped with sensor elements covering the entire surface.
This was possible in a worldwide unique process for which
the researchers combined a chemical vapor deposition for the
hydrogel material, an atomic layer deposition for the zinc oxide,
and nanoprint lithography for the polymer template.
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/0722/skin.
n Micro Device Improves
IVF Treatment
A new micro device streamlines a
fertility treatment procedure for
low sperm counts. (Credit: University
of Adelaide)
A first-of-its-kind device will
allow more IVF clinics to offer
intracytoplasmic sperm injection
(ICSI) as a treatment,
while several IVF procedures,
such as embryo culture, embryo
cryopreservation, and in
vitro maturation, will also be
improved by using the device.
ICSI is a slow and difficult
procedure that involves the injection
of a single sperm into an egg for fertilization, and it can
only be carried out by experienced embryologists. The new
technology - smaller than a pinhead in size - holds up to 10
eggs in segregated positions for quicker injection, making it
easier for embryologists to track and avoid the risk of errors.
The device is designed to cut treatment time in half, require
less training for embryologists with less-expensive equipment
than current ICSI treatment, and improve access to the procedure
for more patients.
By removing the need for the pipette that normally holds
the unfertilized egg in position during ICSI, this device simplifies
the injection process, reduces dependency on a high
level of technical experience, and dramatically improves embryo
production.
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/0722/IVF.
Medical Design Briefs, July 2022
Band gap energies of the passive
film on Ti are relatively
small that is one factor generating
the excellent biocompatibility.
(Credit: Tokyo Medical
and Dental University)
Scientists used photoelectrochemical
measurement and x-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy to
clarify the source of titanium's
biocompatibility when implanted
into the body, as with hip replacements
and dental implants. They
find that its reactivity with the
correct ions in the extracellular
fluid allows the body to recognize
it. This work may lead to a new
generation of medical implants that last longer.
The researchers tested thin disks of titanium in a solution
containing ions meant to mimic the extracellular fluid of the
body, as well as in saline. They measured how much photoelectrical
current was generated when light of various wavelengths
was illuminated on the disks. They also performed x-ray photoelectron
spectroscopy to characterize the passive films that
were naturally present on the surface of the titanium.
Passive films consisted of a very thin TiO2
layer containing
small amounts of Ti2O3 and TiO, hydroxyl groups, and water.
The reactivity of titanium with high corrosion resistance, as revealed
in this experiment by its electronic band structure, is
one of the primary reasons for its excellent biocompatibility
among metals. This research may lead to safer and lessexpensive
implants for hip replacements or dental implants,
because titanium is relatively rare and expensive.
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/0722/titanium.
A low-cost sensor chip with
graphite-based
molecularly imprinted
polymer as the electrode
for detecting and monitoring
theophylline levels. (Credit: Yasuo
Yoshimi/SIT, Japan)
n Rapid Sensor Chip for
Real-Time THO Monitoring
Scientists have developed a disposable,
paper-based THO sensor
consisting of an electrode
made of molecularly imprinted
graphite. Since MIPs are designed
using the target molecule
as a template, the team used
THO as a template when developing
the sensor's carbon-based
electrode paste. The synthesized
paste was then loaded onto a
printed sensor chip and its THO detection abilities were tested.
The sensor was found to be highly sensitive (meaning it
could detect even small amounts of THO) and showed great
selectivity toward the drug. In fact, the sensor could identify
THO even in samples with THO concentrations as low as 2.5
µg/mL. The sensor needs only 3 seconds to detect THO.
The portable, low-cost, reliable, and rapid sensor has longterm
stability and can be used for the real-time detection of
drugs like THO without depending on sophisticated equipment.
The fabrication strategy provided in this study can be
used to develop efficient electrochemical sensors for various
other clinical interventions
For more information, visit www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/
roundup/0722/sensor.
www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
31
http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/0722/skin http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/0722/titanium http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/0722/IVF http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/roundup/0722/sensor http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com
Medical Design Briefs - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Medical Design Briefs - July 2022
