The dichotomy in scale, mechanics, and topology between bioelectronic sensors and living tissues leads to immune rejection of implanted bioelectronic sensors, which is the primary bottleneck that restricts stable integration of electronics with tissues.
Xiaochuan Dai has been dedicated to investigating the ideal interface between bioelectronics and living tissues. He proposed the concept of a tissue-scaffold-mimicking bioelectronic sensor, “stealthily” synergizing bioelectronic devices within living tissues. Through micro-nano fabrication techniques, he ensured that the characteristic dimensions, bending stiffness, and porosity of these devices were comparable to natural tissue scaffolds, breaking the physical barriers between artificial electronic sensors and living tissues.
This tissue-scaffold-mimicking structure can integrate seamlessly with living tissues in a three-dimensional manner without altering the tissues' native microenvironment, and can thereby establish a bi-directional interface for signal exchange. Based on this, Xiaochuan applied tissue-scaffold-mimicking bioelectronics to create immune-response-free brain-machine interfaces, achieving high implantation accuracy, low implantation damage, and long-term stable neural interfaces. By combining these with other neural technologies, he established a multimodal brain-machine interface technology platform. In 2023, Xiaochuan, as Chief Scientist, founded a startup to commercialize the related technology, aiming to create a highly integrated and user-friendly infrastructure technology platform for brain-machine interfaces. This effort continuously advances tissue-scaffold-mimicking bioelectronics in brain science research, brain disease diagnosis and treatment, brain-machine interfaces, and human-machine hybrid intelligence.
