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| Hybrid electrode hydrogel designed by Tohoku University--Courtesy of Tohoku University |
Researchers at Tohoku University in Japan have come up with a stretchable and durable electrode-hydrogel that could open the door for the development of new generations of wearable and implantable devices.
The hybrid electrode hydrogel withstood repeated stretching and sterilization procedures while maintaining electrical conductivity, Asian Scientist magazine reported. The device kept its shape after being repeatedly bent, stretched to twice its length, immersed in water for 6 months and autoclaved for 20 minutes at a time.
In addition to withstanding that kind of abuse, the Tohoku team said that cultures of neural and muscle cells on the hydrogel were able to "adhere, proliferate and differentiate," which are key to developing bio-integrated wearable devices featuring integrated electronics.
"Our study paves the way for the development of complex electronically responsive and spatially controlled nerve muscle cell co-cultures, opening a new avenue of 'intelligent biorobotics'," the team, led by Matsuhiko Nishizawa, wrote in Advanced Healthcare Materials.
Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymer chains that easily absorb water and are being heavily researched by biotechs for their potential drug delivery applications because they exhibit properties similar to human tissue.
Recently, researchers at the University of Rochester encased regenerative stem cells in hydrogel that prevented them from leaving the repair site early and helped speed up the healing process. It is hoped that degradable hydrogels could aid in regenerating tissue after a heart attack.
- read the Asian Scientist article
- check out the abstract