Conductive and printable hydrogel with wet-adhesive properties

Electrical stimulation therapy has shown significant potential for activating neural precursor cells, which can undergo activation, differentiation, proliferation, and cathodal migration under an applied electrical field. Currently, this relies on rigid metal electrodes or micro-fabricated soft electrodes, both of which require transportation to the treatment site and surgical implantation. These approaches can lead to complications such as inflammation and surgical errors, highlighting the need for advances in in situ additive manufacturing of conformable surface electrodes. This requires electrode materials that are electrically conductive, printable, mechanically compliant, and capable of strong adhesion to tissue surfaces under wet conditions due to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Hydrogels have emerged as well-suited materials, however, most reported formulations rely on external triggers such as temperature changes or UV light for crosslinking and typically satisfy only one or two of the three key functional requirements: printability, electrical conductivity, and wet adhesion. This project aims to address this gap by developing a biocompatible hydrogel that integrates all three functionalities for direct in situ deposition. The outcomes of this work will introduce a new material platform and manufacturing strategy to the host lab, while expanding hydrogel materials development and additive manufacturing innovation within the TSMART lab.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hani E. Naguib

Student:

Partner:

Stanford University

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: