3D Hybrid Small Scale Devices

Abstract

Interfacing nano/microscale elements with biological components in 3D contexts opens new possibilities for mimicry, bionics, and augmentation of organismically and anatomically inspired materials. Abiotic nanoscale elements such as plasmonic nanostructures, piezoelectric ribbons, and thin film semiconductor devices interact with electromagnetic fields to facilitate advanced capabilities such as communication at a distance, digital feedback loops, logic, and memory. Biological components such as proteins, polynucleotides, cells, and organs feature complex chemical synthetic networks that can regulate growth, change shape, adapt, and regenerate. Abiotic and biotic components can be integrated in all three dimensions in a well-ordered and programmed manner with high tunability, versatility, and resolution to produce radically new materials and hybrid devices such as sensor fabrics, anatomically mimetic microfluidic modules, artificial tissues, smart prostheses, and bionic devices. In this critical Review, applications of small scale devices in 3D hybrid integration, biomicrofluidics, advanced prostheses, and bionic organs are discussed.

Cellular micromasonry: biofabrication with single cell precision

“…While we need to further study how these cells respond to a process of disassembly and re-assembly on a foreign surface, this demonstration of hybrid biotic/abiotic assembly is key to developing advanced biomaterials that precisely combine living cells with engineered microstructures. 31…”

Advances in TB testing

“…This system demonstrated high concordance with the traditional Xpert MTB/RIF assay (99.5%; 198/199) [65] . Technologies based on microfluidic devices, extensively used in diagnostic testing [66] , [67] , likely provide innovative solutions applicable to TB [68] .…”

3D Self‐Assembled Microelectronic Devices: Concepts, Materials, Applications

“…Surface tension of various materials in the liquid phase has been extensively utilized to reorient conventional MEMS and NEMS structures, [29,[57][58][59] position microelectronic components, [60] and fabricate polyhedral architectures. [31,61,62] By applying extrinsic forces, structural buckling was studied in detail to form diverse pop-up 3D architectures. [31,[63][64][65] Intrinsic interfacial [66][67][68][69][70][71] or volumetric stresses [14,[72][73][74][75][76] were successfully used to create rolled-up tubular and "Swiss-roll" architectures.…”

“…Self‐assembly mechanisms have been exploited to form diverse 3D structures ( Figure ) in a parallel fashion including surface tension, extrinsic forces, and intrinsic interfacial and volumetric stresses. Surface tension of various materials in the liquid phase has been extensively utilized to reorient conventional MEMS and NEMS structures, position microelectronic components, and fabricate polyhedral architectures . By applying extrinsic forces, structural buckling was studied in detail to form diverse pop‐up 3D architectures .…”