Multifunctional Devices and (Bio)systems

State-of-the-art soft material design and 3D printing alone are far from building complex and dynamic tissue-like systems. We focus on replicating the natural system’s complexity and dynamics in engineered systems converging multiscale adaptive soft (bio)materials design with unconventional 3D printing techniques. We designed functional materials in 3D printing devices with self-healing and shape-programming for stimuli-adaptive flexible (bio)electronics.  We fabricated biocompatible thermochromic microcapsules for high-resolution deep-tissue photoacoustic imaging by taking advantage of improved image contrast using differential images at different temperatures. We engineered microstructured cell-instructive biomaterials in (bio)printing of physiologically relevant engineered living tissues for tissue repair/regeneration (such as vascular and osteochondral tissues). We also developed functional sound-active inks (or sono-inks) for through-tissue printing in minimally invasive surgery and therapy, including lesion occlusion, tissue reconstruction, and drug delivery. The complex and dynamic multifunctional soft (bio)systems can better interface with the human body for precision health, from diagnosis to surgery and therapy.

Various functional sono-inks were designed for acoustic volumetric printing through centimeter thick tissues.  We show proof-of-concept for minimally invasive surgery ex-vivo, including left atrial appendage closure,  bone reconstruction, and post-ablative chemotherapy (Science, 2023).