Voltaglue electroceutical adhesive patches for localized voltage stimulation

Abstract

Electroceuticals have been proposed as nerve- and tissue-stimulating therapeutics for diverse ailments such as fracture repair, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, hypertension, and wound healing. However, academic and clinical investigations of electroceutical hypotheses remain intangible due to the lack of suitable interfaces required for the application of uniform electric fields to localized tissues. There is an unmet need to develop materials that match the mechanical properties of soft tissues, are electrically conductive, and can flex to accommodate body movements. Herein, the design of a flexible resistive substrate and voltage-activated adhesive-based “electroceutical plaster” is demonstrated, which generates bound electric fields. The electric fields generated by the resistive substrate can interact with the active component in the voltage-activated adhesive. Structure–activity relationships of applied voltage and current bias on electrorheology and tissue adhesion are investigated. Electrocuring migration is observed, where curing commences near the cathode and progresses toward the anode. A potential electroceutical dressing with a tunable lap shear adhesion of 20–65 kPa is introduced for evaluation of electroceutical therapies.