Objective: Hand amputation is a highly disabling event, which significantly affects quality of life. An effective hand replacement can be achieved if the user, in addition to motor functions, is provided with the sensations that are naturally perceived while grasping and moving. Intraneural peripheral electrodes have shown promising results toward the restoration of the sense of touch. However, the long-term usability and clinical relevance of intraneural sensory feedback have not yet been clearly demonstrated. Methods: To this aim, we performed a six months clinical study with three trans-radial amputees who received implants of transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrodes (TIMEs) in their median and ulnar nerves. After calibration, electrical stimulation was delivered through the TIMEs connected to artificial sensors in the digits of a prosthesis to generate sensory feedback, which was then used by the subjects while performing different grasping tasks. Results: All the subjects, notwithstanding their important clinical differences, reported stimulationinduced sensations from the phantom hand for the whole duration of the trial. They also successfully integrated the sensory feedback into their motor control strategies while performing experimental tests simulating tasks of real life (with and without the support of vision). Finally, they reported a decrement of their phantom limb pain and a general improvement in mood state. Interpretation: The promising results achieved with all subjects show the feasibility of the use of intraneural stimulation in clinical settings.

An organic ultralow voltage field effect transistor for DNA hybridization detection is presented. The transduction mechanism is based on a field-effect modulation due to the electrical charge of the oligonucleotides, so label-free detection can be performed. The device shows a sub-nanometer detection limit and unprecedented selectivity with respect to single nucleotide polymorphism.

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Inkjet-printing is one of the most important fabrication techniques in the field of printed electronics. Its main advantages include the possibility of fabricating, at ambient conditions and by employing a digital layout, a large variety of electronic devices on different types of substrates, including flexible plastic ones. In this paper, the utilization of inkjet-printing as an important fabrication tool for the realization of organic transistors and circuits/sensing systems based on such type of transistors is reviewed. The most important aspects of the fabrication process, including ink formulation, printing deposition, and postprinting treatment, are described in detail. The most significant examples of inkjet-printed organic transistors of different types (field-effect, electrolytegated, and electrochemical) are presented and finally an overview of their applications as building blocks of more complex electronic circuits and systems for the detection and quantification of specific measurands is provided.

Organic thin film transistors have been fabricated on plastic substrates using a combination of two\ud ultrathin insulating films, namely a 6 nm Al2O3 film (grown by UV-Ozone treatment of a\ud pre-deposited aluminium film) and a 25 nm parylene C film deposited by vapour phase, as gate\ud dielectric. They show a very low leakage current density, around 2109 A/cm2, and, most\ud importantly, can be operated at voltages below 1V. We demonstrate that this low-cost technique is\ud highly reproducible and represents a step forward for the routine fabrication of ultra-low voltage\ud plastic electronics

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Plastic electronics is an enabling technology for obtaining active (transistor based) electronic circuits on flexible and/or nonplanar surfaces. For these reasons, it appears as a perfect candidate to promote future developments of wearable electronics toward the concept of fabrics and garments made by functional (in this case, active electronic) yarns. In this paper, a panoramic view of recent achievements and future perspectives is given.

The ability of field effect transistors (FETs) to detect charge variations on the gate may be exploited for realizing chemo- and bio-sensors. In this paper, we focus our attention on a particular kind of field effect device, named organic charge modulated FETs, whose features can be optimized for charge detection in liquid solutions. The results of the measurement of different bio-related effects are shown. In particular, DNA hybridization and pH detection in liquid media are proposed. Finally, preliminary considerations about the applicability of these devices to the detection of the electrical activity of cells are also provided. The device has considerable potential for being employed as a reliable, high sensitivity, low cost technology for sensing signals derived from living systems