Self-Folding Materials and Devices for Biomedical Applications

The human body is a 3D structure and elaborately patterned from the nano to the macroscale. Hence, there is a need to extend planar micro and nanopatterning techniques into the third dimension to enable precisely structured diagnostic and therapeutic devices. Self-folding refers to self-assembly processes wherein planar structures fold up spontaneously, typically when released from a substrate or exposed to specific stimuli. The processes are versatile and can be used across length scales and with diverse materials. I will describe the use of self-folding methods to fabricate precisely patterned hollow polyhedral containers, physical and chemical scaffolds and bio-chemically actuated wireless surgical tools for less-invasive surgical diagnostics. These examples highlight the use of self-folding to achieve unprecedented precision and machine-based autonomous functionality on a hierarchy of length scales for micro and nanostructured biomedical implants and devices.