Biocompatible ultrathin devices interfacing with organs

  
  Prof. Zhi Jiang

  Professor, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen)

Abstract:

Human organs typically possess a three-dimensional, soft, and living structure, whereas electronic devices are predominantly two-dimensional, relatively rigid, and nonliving in nature. Device-organ integration and their intelligence hold paramount importance in addressing pressing global challenges in healthcare, sustainability, education, and entertainment for humanity. However, it remains a challenge to simultaneously achieve satisfactory functionality and biocompatibility because of their inherent differences in mechanical and chemical properties. Currently, our team designs and develops ultrathin soft devices, starting from the natural structure and properties of organs. In this talk, I will discuss two examples: 1. Ultrathin stretchable electronic devices that can adhere to nerves and spinal cords without causing foreign body injection; 2. Ultrathin stretchable electronic devices that can form a seamless interface with skin without causing inflammation. I will pose a grand challenge to the audience: how can we balance functionality and biocompatibility? I will conclude the talk with a vision for future device-organ integration, a fusion of electronics, mechanical engineering, materials science, computer science, biology, and medicine.

Speaker's Biography: 

Dr. Zhi Jiang is currently a professor in the School of Integrated Circuits at the Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (HITSZ). He received his doctor degree from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems at the University of Tokyo in 2020 and completed his postdoctoral research at RIKEN in Japan and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore in 2024. In the field of flexible electronics, he has published over 40 papers, including more than 20 as first or corresponding author, in leading journals such as Nature Electronics, Science Advances (2 papers), PNAS, Joule, and Advanced Materials (2 papers), with an h-index of 27 and 5 ESI Highly Cited Papers. He also holds multiple Chinese and PCT patents. His work has earned several awards, including the National Youth Talent (2023), the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad (2019), and the RIKEN Research Incentive Award (2019). Currently, his research group is dedicated to frontier research on critical materials and interfaces in flexible electronic packaging technology and flexible hybrid integrated circuit technology, exploring the application prospects of these emerging technologies in the interdisciplinary field of biomedical engineering. His primary research interests include electronic skin, brain-machine interfaces, and artificial intelligence.