3 research outputs found
3D Printed Bionic Ears
The
ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional
electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing
enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional
electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless
multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes
and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy
for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological
cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements.
As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of
a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human
ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused
silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage
tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently
enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped
electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for
radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can
listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means
to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via
3D printing
3D Printed Bionic Ears
The
ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional
electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing
enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional
electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless
multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes
and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy
for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological
cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements.
As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of
a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human
ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused
silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage
tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently
enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped
electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for
radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can
listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means
to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via
3D printing
3D Printed Bionic Ears
The
ability to three-dimensionally interweave biological tissue with functional
electronics could enable the creation of bionic organs possessing
enhanced functionalities over their human counterparts. Conventional
electronic devices are inherently two-dimensional, preventing seamless
multidimensional integration with synthetic biology, as the processes
and materials are very different. Here, we present a novel strategy
for overcoming these difficulties via additive manufacturing of biological
cells with structural and nanoparticle derived electronic elements.
As a proof of concept, we generated a bionic ear via 3D printing of
a cell-seeded hydrogel matrix in the anatomic geometry of a human
ear, along with an intertwined conducting polymer consisting of infused
silver nanoparticles. This allowed for in vitro culturing of cartilage
tissue around an inductive coil antenna in the ear, which subsequently
enables readout of inductively-coupled signals from cochlea-shaped
electrodes. The printed ear exhibits enhanced auditory sensing for
radio frequency reception, and complementary left and right ears can
listen to stereo audio music. Overall, our approach suggests a means
to intricately merge biologic and nanoelectronic functionalities via
3D printing