Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
potential to incorporate both diagnostic as well as therapeutic functionality. Such systems
would utilize information in the same manner as the body uses the skin surface for sen-
sorimotor feedback control [2-8].
Development of bioengineered skin-interfacing systems require interdisciplinary
research combining diverse fields such as tissue engineering, molecular biology, anatomy,
physiology, medical physics, biology, mechanical engineering, microfluidics, chemical
processes, microfabrication, nanotechnology, and signal processing. This chapter reviews
the development of these interface systems from the MEMS perspective.
10.2
Skin-Interface Systems: Concept
When a foreign object is introduced in the body, the body rejects it by forming scar tissue
around it, thus isolating it from the rest of the body. An interface between the sensing sys-
tem and the skin needs to ensure that the body does not initiate this defense mechanism.
Such ability would make it possible for the interface material to act as a seamless bridge
that performs transfer of signals and samples to the sensing system. Systems with such
interfaces would have the potential to integrate detection, diagnostics, and treatment of
adverse medical and physiological states affecting the human body. An example of major
drivers for such systems is diabetes. There are numerous active efforts underway to
develop a seamless glucose sensing and insulin delivery systems that can function over
extended durations. Other systems could enable diagnosis of adverse states like heat pros-
tration, exhaustion, dehydration, hemorrhagic shock, and anxiety. This approach can
potentially result in physiologically and clinically relevant information far in advance of
changes in central measures like blood pressure, arterial blood gases, or acid-base status.
Positioning sensors strategically on the body surface and incorporating developments
in Computer Science and Engineering, viz. distributed computing algorithms and low-
power wireless communication, can allow observation of the target biological processes
in the body in real time, similar to electrocardiography and electroencephalography.
Figure 10.2 depicts the schema of distributed smart sensor arrays on the human body.
Local
data
Remote
data
Sensors
FIGURE 10.2
Schema of distributed smart sensor arrays on the human body.
