Multimodal Multilayered Soft Electronics in Advanced Devices

Researchers at GW have invented an electronic system for multimodal diagnostic measurements and therapeutic interventions. The electronic system allows a higher spatial density for the placement of sensors and actuators, thus resulting in a better interface aspect for delivering drugs between any respective contact tissue and any respective portion of the electronic system. This higher spatial density aspect also allows to better stimulate or ablate any relevant tissue, in a given surgical procedure. Particularly, this electronic system can be utilized in medical procedures directed to cardiac ablation therapy, bladder therapy, and pulmonary ablation therapy. This invention can also be utilized in tumor cancer therapeutics where the therapy may rely on ablation procedures and other related genetic procedures, as can be appreciated. Thus, this invention solves a multitude of problems that have been extant in the field of cardiac surgical procedures including non-multimodal therapeutics, non-multifunctional surgery. The electronic system also combines diagnostic and therapeutic functions.

Typically, the electronic system can include a plurality of networks of integrated elements that support multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic functions in addressable, interconnected array configurations. For example, the electronic system can include instrumented sensors and actuators in multiplexed array formats, with spatial capabilities in real-time feedback control, enabled by simultaneous, multimodal operation of sensors and actuators. The electronic system is also configured to enable conformal contacts to tissues, for simultaneous, multimodal, mapping of temperature, thermal transport properties, pressure, and electrophysiological parameters. The electronic system can also include a balloon catheter upon or about which the plurality of networks of integrated elements can be placed. Without limitation, therapeutic interventions associated with the invention can include electrical stimulation, drug elution, radio frequency ablation, irreversible electroporation ablation.

Fig. 1 – One example of the instant invention

Applications:

• Cardiac arrhythmia treatments using electroporation and radio frequency-based ablation techniques
• Bladder, urethral, pulmonary, tumor-based sensing, and ablation applications
• Gene therapy delivery of drugs/vectors using electroporation

Advantages:

• Provides high density of sensors, high density of actuators
• Has the ability to intimately interface and contact tissue to deliver drugs, stimulate tissue (for example, via electroporation or pacing), and ablate tissue (for example, via electroporation, RF ablation)
• Applicable to novel cardiac ablation therapy, bladder therapy, pulmonary ablation
• Applicable to tumor cancer therapeutics that is based on ablation and genetic therapy