Flexible Bioelectronics on a Thread: Sensors, Microfluidics, Electronics and Drug Delivery

During his presentation, Dr. Sonkusale will explore the new realm of using threads as an ultimate platform for flexible and stretchable bioelectronics. Threads offer unique advantages of universal availability, low cost, material diversity and simple textile-based processing. Interestingly, threads also provide an ideal platform for passive microfluidic sampling and delivery of analytes. Further, Dr. Sonkusale will report reel-to-reel fabrication of functional smart threads for variety of sensing and electronics application and report on nanomaterial-infused smart threads for sensing strain and temperature. Nano-infused threads will be presented for sensing pH, glucose, lactate, ammonium and other chemical and biological biomarkers directly in biological fluids such as sweat or wound exudate. Beyond sensing and microfluidics, Dr. Sonkusale will also present his recent work on making super-thin transistors and electronics directly on threads. This new toolkit of highly flexible thread-based microfluidics, sensors, transistors and electronics makes it possible to realize smart surgical sutures and flexible smart bandages for chronic wounds. His recent work on using threads for closed loop spatiotemporal dosage controlled drug delivery will also be presented. If time permits, Dr. Sonkusale will show some related research activities on ingestible devices for studying the gut microbiome, and on flexible microneedles for transdermal drug delivery.

Dr. Sameer Sonkusale

Tufts University on September 26, 2019 at 10:30 AM in Monteith Research Center, Room 454

Sameer Sonkusale is currently a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University with a joint appointment in the department of Biomedical Engineering. At Tufts University, Dr. Sonkusale directs an interdisciplinary research group Nano Lab with research focus on flexible bioelectronics, biomedical microdevices circuits and systems, microfabrication and nanofabrication. The technology developed in his labs has resulted in creation of several startups (noP Medical – nopmedical.com, Hero Patch -theheropatch.com, Boston Sensors-bostonsensors.com) with others licensed to several companies. Prior to coming to Tufts, he was an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University from 2002 to 2004. For 2011-2012 and again in 2018-2019, He also held the position of visiting scholar at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Dr. Sonkusale also serves on the board of advisors of SRM University-AP in India, and Science for the public (SftP) non-profit.

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