A facile and scalable materials and processing strategy for soft electronic catheters

초록

Soft, minimally invasive tools integrating electrical and pharmacological functions are vital for treating dynamic organs where rigid implants or systemic drugs lack precision and compliance. We present a simple, scalable strategy to fabricate stretchable metallic nanowire/thermoplastic polyurethane (NW/TPU) composite tubes. Upon injecting the composite solution into water, solvent exchange induces TPU hydrolysis, releasing CO2 to template a cellular porous wall, while axial flow aligns NWs along the tube. Tube geometry is tunable via injection parameters, enabling continuous, meter-scale production. The tubes exhibit high conductivity (similar to 25,000 S cm(-1)), large-strain compliance (similar to 220%), low impedance (1286 Omega @ 1 kHz), and soft modulus (similar to 509 kPa). Axial NW alignment enhances percolation, maintaining electrical stability under deformation. As deployable electronic catheters, these tubes record electrograms, deliver pacing, and locally infuse drugs in vivo, demonstrating a multifunctional, scalable platform for next-generation soft bioelectronic systems.

키워드