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Date: 
Friday, 26 May, 2017 - 12:30
Event Location: 

Jan Evetts Room

Dr Huanyu Cheng, assistant professor at Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University

Recent advances in electronics enable powerful biomedical devices that have greatly reduced therapeutic risks by monitoring vital signals and providing means of treatment. Implantable devices can help us better understand the behavior and effects of various diseases. However, an additional procedure is required to remove the device after an initial implantation. Conventional electronics today form on the planar surfaces of brittle wafer substrates and are not compatible with the complex topology of body tissues. Therefore, stretchable and absorbable electronics are the two missing links in the design process of implantable monitors and in-vivo therapeutics. This talk presents the challenges, mechanics, and design strategies, behind a potential medical device that (a) integrates with human physiology, and (b) dissolves completely after its effective operation. Implanted devices will provide a much better understanding of organ functions and offer more time efficient treatments for serious diseases such as heart failure.