Artificial skin in medicine

Main article: Human body

2024

World's first artificial skin with receptors created

Scientists at Tsinghua University in China have developed the world's first artificial skin equipped with receptors capable of mimicking the sensations of human skin. This was reported on June 7, 2024 at the university. This breakthrough was achieved through the creation of a bionic three-dimensional architecture that reproduces the spatial arrangement of mechanoreceptors found in human skin.

The new "electronic skin," developed under the guidance of Professor Zhang Yihui, includes three layers similar to those of human skin: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The epidermis repeats the texture of the skin surface, the dermis contains most sensors and receptors, and the subcutaneous tissue mimics the underlying tissues. This design allows artificial skin to feel pressure, friction and deformation, which was previously inaccessible to existing technologies.

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TechXplore

According to the research group, the developed system is able to perceive and analyze elastic modules and the shape of an object through a simple contact. This was made possible by integrating a three-dimensional electronic shell with advanced machine learning algorithms. The development has already been published in the scientific journal Science on May 30, 2024.

As Professor Zhang Yihui noted, the nature-inspired design of electronic leather with three-dimensional architecture (3DAE-skin) mimics the work of slowly adapting mechanoreceptors such as Merkel cells and Ruffini bodies, allowing the device to accurately measure different kinds of mechanical influences. The technology breaks new ground for applications in prosthetics, providing a more natural touch for amputees as well as robotics, expanding the tactile capabilities of humanoids.

The 3DAE envelope exhibits superior performance in measuring normal force, shear force and strain, the scientists said. This is the first system of its kind in which sensitive components are located in a three-dimensional scheme, which significantly increases the accuracy and reliability of measurements.^[1]

Surgery without scars: "Live" skin began to print directly on the wound

On March 1, 2024, American researchers from the University of Pennsylvania announced the development of a new technology that allows printing "live" skin directly on the wound. In this case, it is possible to reconstruct the cover without scars.

It is noted that reconstructive surgery in the event of a face or head injury usually leads to scarring or permanent hair loss. Anatomically, the skin consists of three layers: the external (visible) epidermis, the middle dermis, and the deepest layer, the hypoderma. The last of the listed layers includes connective tissue and adipose component. The hypoderm provides structure and protective support for the skull; in addition, the roots of hair follicles penetrate it. It is the hypoderm that is directly involved in the process of converting stem cells into fat, and this process is critical for several vital functions, including wound healing. It also plays a role in the cyclical development of hair follicles, including hair growth.

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Previously, the researchers used two different kinds of biochernils to simultaneously 3D print hard and soft tissues to heal wounds. In the new work, specialists extracted from the adipose tissue of patients who underwent surgery, the extracellular matrix - a network of molecules and proteins that give the tissue structure and stability. This became the first component of biochernils. The second element was stem cells taken from adipose tissue. The third link was a clotting solution containing fibrinogen, which helped other components bind to the site of injury.

Each component was loaded into a separate bioprinter compartment. As a result, the scientists were able to simultaneously print a mixture of matrix and fibrinogen along with stem cells with precise control. The process is carried out directly at the site of the injury in order to form a hypoderma, which contributes to the healing of wounds and the formation of hair follicles. Matrix and stem cell co-delivery has been found to be critical for hypoderm formation. After bioprinting the layers of hypoderma and dermis, the external epidermis formed on its own, which ensured almost complete wound healing within two weeks.^[2]

2023

Stretchable electronic skin for robotic prostheses introduced

On October 26, 2023, Canadian researchers from the University of British Columbia, together with Japanese specialists from Honda, announced the creation of stretchable electronic skin with high sensitivity to exposure. The development is expected to find application in robotics and medicine - for example, in new generation prostheses with tactile feedback and in robots in contact with humans.

The presented coating contains fixed and sliding supports that allow it to bend and wrinkle, imitating the characteristics of natural human skin. Sensors based on silicone rubber are responsible for tactile perception. The sensor layer uses weak electric fields to detect objects even at a distance. The technology makes it possible to record forces acting both on the surface of electronic skin and along it.

Experts have developed stretchable electronic skin with high sensitivity to exposure

Our sensor can perceive several types of forces, allowing a prosthetic or robotic arm to respond to physical influences with high accuracy and accuracy, says Dr. Mirza Saquib Sarwar, one of the authors of the study.

A robotic manipulator covered in a new type of skin is able to hold fragile objects such as an egg or glass glass cup of water without crushing or dropping them. The researchers emphasize that the developed sensors are easy to manufacture, which allows you to organize mass production at relatively low costs. At the same time, the project participants admit that human skin has a hundred times more sensitive points at the fingertips than electronic. In the future, as sensor manufacturing techniques improve, the sensitivity of the stretch coating will increase.^[3]

Bioprinted Skin Quickly and Efficiently Heals Wounds

On October 4, 2023, American researchers at Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) reported on the development of bioprinted skin that accelerates wound healing and supports healthy extracellular matrix reconstruction. This paves the way for complete recovery of areas of skin damaged by burns or serious injuries.

Skin regeneration technologies are developed by many scientific teams. However, the available transplant materials are either temporary or have only some characteristics of normal skin, resulting in scarring. At the same time, creating a skin of full thickness is a very difficult task - it is it that WFIRM specialists solve.

Artificial skin developed that accelerates wound healing and supports healthy extracellular matrix reconstruction

As part of the study, all six main types of primary human cells present in the skin were bioprinted. Specialized hydrogels were used as biochernils. Scientists have created full-thickness multicomponent skin containing three layers present in normal human tissue: the epidermis, dermis and hypoderma.

During the experiments, blood vessels, characteristic patterns and normal tissue structure were formed on bioprinted skin. The proposed approach promotes improved wound healing, reduced skin contraction and increased collagen production, which helps reduce scarring.

Complex skin healing is a major clinical challenge affecting millions of people worldwide, but medical options are limited. The results show that the creation of full thickness bioengineered human skin is possible. At the same time, the developed technology contributes to faster healing and a more natural result, "said Anthony Atala, one of the project leaders.[4]

Artificial human skin has been created that "feels" temperature and pressure

On May 18, 2023, American researchers from Stanford University (SU) announced the development of a new type of electronic skin that can "feel" the temperature and pressure exerted. In the future, the technology can help return tactile sensitivity to people who have received severe injuries or extensive burns. Read more here.

2022

The development of the Perm Polytechnic will help grow skin

The development of the Perm Polytechnic will help grow leather. The university announced this on November 11, 2022. Read more here.

Announcement of electronic skin. With its help, robots will be able to "see"

In early July 2022, researchers at the University of Glasgow developed photosensitive skin capable of allowing robots to sense light. Although typically gallium arsenide photodetectors are printed on rigid surfaces, it is the first time engineers have managed to attach them to a flexible surface.

A new form of flexible photodetector could allow robots of the future to detect light beyond human vision. Engineers used the developed method of printing microscopic semiconductors from gallium arsenide on a flexible plastic surface. Their material has characteristics equivalent to the best traditional photodetectors on the market and is capable of withstanding hundreds of bending and extension cycles.

Electronic leather has been created. With its help, robots will be able to "see"

According to the developers, in the future, this type of photosensitive flexible material could give new abilities to robots. For example, mechanical hands used for production in photosensitive environments may become able to detect when conditions change and the safety or efficiency of their operation is compromised. Flexible, wide-spectrum photodetectors can also be used in a wide range of wireless technologies, where the fast transmission and response rates we have experienced are always in demand.

In the paper, the researchers describe how they developed technology that allows skin to detect light across a wide range of electromagnetic spectrum. The work builds on previous research by the group, in which they developed a method to print silicon circuits directly on the surface of flexible plastic, allowing for high-performance bendable electronics. Gallium arsenide is used in many electronic applications to create high-performance electronics. However, they were mainly created on hard surfaces, but a team of scientists from Scotland were among the first to find a way to use gallium arsenide on a flexible substrate.

The scientists adapted the existing roll printing system to print gallium arsenide electronics on a flexible surface using arrays of 15μm wide wires. This allowed them to create a new type of flexible photodetector capable of sensing light from the ultraviolet range, the visible part of the spectrum to the infrared, all at extremely low power consumption. The system is capable of ultra-fast response to light: it requires only 2.5 ms to measure light and 8 ms to recover. Performance is not inferior to the best inflexible photodetectors available for July 2022. To test the system's durability, researchers at the University of Glasgow subjected the material to rigorous testing in a machine designed to bend and twist hundreds of times. Within 500 cycles, the material showed no significant performance loss.^[5]

2020: Artificial skin that feels touch and pain created

In early September 2020, researchers introduced electronic artificial skin that feels pain and touch. it is assumed that the new technology will find its application in prosthetics, robotics and skin transplantation.

A prototype developed by a team at RMIT University in Melbourne can electronically reproduce the sensation of pain. The device simulates almost instantaneous feedback and is able to respond to painful sensations at the same rate at which nerve signals arrive in the brain. The researchers note that the prototype was a significant step forward in biomedical technology and next-generation intelligent robotics.

Artificial skin is presented that feels touch and pain

Until now, electronic technology has failed to realistically mimic the feeling of pain experienced by humans. But our artificial skin responds instantly when pressure, heat or cold reaches a painful threshold. This is an important step in the development of the complex feedback systems we need to create truly intelligent prostheses and intelligent robotics, "said the lead researcher of the project, Professor Madhu Bhaskaran.

In addition to the pain sensor prototype, the research team also developed electronic devices that can respond to changes in temperature and pressure. Thus, three functioning prototypes have been developed to convey key skin sensitivity functions in electronic form. They are based on elastic electronics technology, combining oxide materials with biocompatible silicone to create transparent, unbreakable and wearable electronics. In the future, such artificial skin may become a variant of non-invasive skin grafts in cases where the traditional approach is not viable or does not work.^[6]

2019: Nanocage for wounds

Artificial skin that heals wounds and will be used in the future instead of all dressings (patches, bandages, etc.).

The main component of the new artificial skin is a protein that helps wounds heal faster, while minimizing scars. The material that is used promotes the production of collagen, a protein needed to heal wounds in the human body.

Experiments have shown that wounds when using the new "skin" heal more efficiently and three times faster.

2018: Portable 3D printer for printing artificial leather directly on a person

In May 2018, researchers from the University of Toronto (University of Toronto) presented a portable 3D printer for printing skin, designed to treat deep burn wounds. The team of researchers notes that this is the first device that forms and places a printed tissue sample directly at the burn site in just a couple of minutes.

Portable 3D printer for printing artificial leather directly on a person

In patients with deep burns, all three layers of the skin - the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue - can be severely damaged. To treat such wounds, skin transplantation is used, in which the healthy skin of a patient with a superficial epidermis and part of the dermis is grafted onto a vast wound surface. However, plastics require a sufficiently large volume of healthy patient skin, which is not always possible to get, and "undisguised" wounds heal very poorly. Although several types of skin substitutes have been developed for similar plastics, their use is limited, since most modern 3D bioprinters are bulky, expensive and work too slowly.

Researchers at the University of Toronto believe their portable printer will allow more widespread use of 3D printing in the treatment of such wounds. The portable device weighs less than a kilogram and does not require an incubation stage or a highly qualified specialist. It contains biomaterials based on protein compounds, including collagen, the main dermis protein, and fibrin, a protein involved in wound healing. In addition, the printer can be configured for certain characteristics of the patient and the wound itself.

The results of a study led by graduate student Navid Hakimi, led by associate professor of the Department of Applied Sciences Axel Guenther, in collaboration with Dr. Marc Jeschke, director of the burn center and professor of immunology, were recently published in the journal Lab on a Chip. Scientists have already begun clinical trials of a 3D printer and expect to introduce the device at a mass level.^[7]

2016: Plan to create a leather bank in Russia

At the end of November 2016, it became known about the creation in Russia of a bank of human skin, which the immune system of patients will perceive as their own. Izvestia writes about this.

The division of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency - FNCC of Physical and Chemical Medicine (FNCC FCM) - has developed a technology for growing artificial skin with reduced immunogenicity necessary for the treatment of burn patients.

A bank of human skin is created in Russia, which the immune system of patients will perceive as their own

One of our projects is the preparation of samples or skin preparations that will have very low immunogenicity, "says Vadim Govorun, head of the FCC FCM. - Current gene cell technologies allow the growth of non-immune response skin. The drug is made from the cells of some people, and will treat others without causing rejection by the body. Thus, we can avoid the main problem arising from organ transplantation.

Govorun claims that frozen skin will be able to be stored for a long time, since its cells, after thawing in culture medium, come to life, making the skin suitable for transplantation. The research center notes that the implemented analogues of the development do not exist at the moment.

The FNCC wants to put the production of drugs for such skin on stream so that it can be stored for future use and used as needed - for example, victims of burns in patients, when there is no time to grow transplants from the cells of the patients themselves or there is no way to transplant their own skin.

According to data, Rosstat about 300 thousand cases of thermal and chemical burns are recorded annually in Russia. This represents about 7% of all superficial injury cases.

By mid-2017, after passing clinical trials and the start of mass production of the drug, it is planned to create a federal skin bank.^[8]

See also

• 3D printing in medicine
• 3D Printers (Global Market)
• 3D Printing in Medicine (Global Market)

Notes