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Stretchable Dielectric Material for Conformable Bioelectronic Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Candice Tsay
Affiliation:
[email protected], Princeton University, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Quad B405, Princeton University, Olden Street, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Stephanie P. Lacour
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Cambridge, Department of Materials Science, Cambridge, N/A, CB2 3QZ, United Kingdom
Sigurd Wagner
Affiliation:
[email protected], Princeton University, Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton, NJ, 08544, United States
Zhe Yu
Affiliation:
[email protected], Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY, 10027, United States
Barclay Morrison III
Affiliation:
[email protected], Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY, 10027, United States
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Abstract

We use a photo-patternable silicone polymer to fabricate an elastically deformable encapsulation film on stretchable gold lines that electrically conduct while stretched to >50% strain. To detect bioelectrical signals, these stretchable gold lines are patterned as leads and micro-electrodes. They need to be encapsulated with a material that is electrically insulating, as stretchable as the elastomeric substrate, and that can be readily patterned to define recording sites. First, we evaluate the biocompatibility of the elastic encapsulation polymer by assessing the viability of the organotypic hippocampal slices cultured on it. Then, to test the electrical performance of the encapsulation film under large mechanical stress, we measure the dielectric strength of the encapsulation film to 50% tensile strain. Our findings indicate that the photo-patternable silicone material is a suitable interface to in vitro living tissue, and is a reliable stretchable insulator for soft and conformable electronic devices.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006

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References

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