Interfacing with the Brain using Organic Electronics
George Malliaras
Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole des Mines de St. Etienne (France)
E-mail:
One of the most important scientific and technological frontiers of our time lies in the interface
between electronics and the human brain. Interfacing the most advanced human engineering endeavor
with nature’s most refined creation promises to help elucidate aspects of the brain’s working
mechanism and deliver new tools for diagnosis and treatment of a host of pathologies including
epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Current solutions, however, are limited by the materials that are
brought in contact with the tissue and transduce signals across the biotic/abiotic interface. The field of
organic electronics has made available materials with a unique combination of attractive properties,
including mechanical flexibility, mixed ionic/electronic conduction, enhanced biocompatibility, and
capability for drug delivery. I will present examples of organic-based devices for recording and
stimulation of brain activity, highlighting the connection between materials properties and device
performance. I will show that organic electronic materials provide unparalleled opportunities to
design devices that improve our understanding of brain physiology and pathology, and can be used to
deliver new therapies.
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