Project Description

Printed electronics have enabled tremendous developments in human body-interfaced wearable devices for powerful precision healthcare. Thin, flexible, and stretchable devices that are printed on biocompatible elastomers integrate with the skin in a noninvasive and unobtrusive manner allowing for the continuous monitoring and early detection of diseases and other conditions affecting health and wellbeing. Despite recent technological advances, these devices are primarily suited for larger body parts, such as limbs and the chest, but they are not suited for the much smaller, softer, and exceptionally-sensitive human eye. We will develop a collection of activities that will lay the foundational principles, leading to the creation of a next-generation eye-wearable multimodal sensor platform. Specifically, we will: (i) develop a set of functional materials, mechanics designs, and automated printing methods for batch production of soft, stretchable, and active multimodal sensors tailored for the cornea and the skin nearby the eye; (ii) integrate the multimodal sensors with novel machine learning tools to build innovative predictive models for learning and precision diagnosis based on the necessarily-heterogeneous data associated with ocular diagnosis and treatment; and (iii) characterize and validate the multimodal sensors in healthy human eyes for identification of ocular electrophysiological and biomechanical factors for precision decisions. 

Start Date

July 1, 2021 

Postdoc Qualifications

Potential candidates should be eager to develop new skills with respect to chemistry, biology, and engineering while building from a relevant skill set that was acquired during their previous studies. Moreover, potential candidates should be able to work well independently and as a member of interdisciplinary, fast-moving teams. Previous experience with respect to organic chemistry, organic electronic device fabrication, and/or biomedical engineering is preferred, but it is not required. 

Co-Advisors

Bryan W. Boudouris
Email: boudouris@purdue.edu
Affiliations: Davidson School of Chemical Engineering and Department of Chemistry
Website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/people/ptProfile?id=71151

Chi Hwan Lee
Email: lee2270@purdue.edu
Affiliations: Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and School of Mechanical Engineering
Website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/BioNanoTronics/ 

References

“A Nonconjugated Radical Polymer Glass with High Electrical Conductivity,” Joo, Y.; Agarkar, V.; Sung, S. H.; Savoie, B. M.; Boudouris, B. W. Science 2018, 359, 1391-1395.

“Wafer-Recyclable, Environment-Friendly Transfer Printing for Large-Scale Think Film nanoelectronics,” Wie, D.; Zhang, Y.; Kim, M.; Kim, B.; Park, S.; Kim, Y.; Irazoqui, P.; Zheng, X.; Xu, B.; Lee, C. H. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2018, 115, 7236.

“Networked Nanocomposite Elastomers for Mechanically Reinforced Skin-electronics,” Kim, M.; Kantarcigil, C.; Kim, B.; Baruah, R.; Maity, S.; Park, Y.; Kim, K.; Lee, S.; Malandraki, J.; Avlani, S.; Smith A.; Sen, S.; Alam, M.; Malandraki, G.; Lee, C. H. Sci. Adv. 2019, 5, 12, eaay3210.

“Bioresorbable Porous Silicon Nanoneedles on Flexible Water-Soluble Backing for Unobtrusive, sustained Topical Delivery of Chemotherapy,” Kim, H.; Lee, H.; Jeon, Y.; Park, W.; Zhang, Y.; Kim, B.; Jang, H.; Xu, B.; Yeo, Y.; Lee, C. H. ACS Nano 2020, 14, 6, 7227-7236.

“100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Recent Advances and Opportunities for Mixed Ion and Charge Conducting Polymers,” Chung, J.; Khot, A.; Savoie, B. M.; Boudouris, B. W. ACS Macro Lett. 2020, 9, 646-655.