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Scientists Discover Way to Send Information into Black Holes Without Using Energy

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This Ultra-Thin ‘THIN’ Device Creates a Soft, Seamless Interface With Living Tissue

Imagine a medical device so thin, soft, and flexible that your body cannot feel it—yet powerful enough to record the faint electrical whispers of your brain, heart, and muscles with unmatched clarity. This is not science fiction. It is the promise of a groundbreaking new innovation known as THIN, or transformable and imperceptible hydrogel-elastomer ionic-electronic nanomembrane.

Developed by researchers at the Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research (CNIR) at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in collaboration with Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), THIN represents a major leap forward in how technology can blend with the human body. Their findings, published in Nature Nanotechnology, introduce a device that starts as a dry, rigid film only 350 nanometers thick—about one-thousandth the thickness of a human hair—and transforms into an ultra-soft, tissue-like membrane upon contact with moisture.

This transformation allows THIN to attach itself to living organs without glue, sutures, or pressure, opening possibilities for long-term medical implants, advanced neural interfaces, wearable health monitors, and even minimally invasive bioelectronic therapies.

In simple terms, THIN is not just another flexible electronic gadget—it is the closest technology has ever come to creating a “second skin” for our organs.

Why Soft Bioelectronics Have Been So Hard to Achieve

Our bodies are made of soft, curved, and constantly moving tissues. Think about the steady beat of the heart, the delicate folds of the brain, or the rhythmic expansion of muscles. Traditional electronics, even flexible ones, cannot match this level of softness and motion.

Even the thinnest conventional devices often cause issues, such as:

  • Poor adhesion because rigid materials don’t bend perfectly with soft tissue

  • Inflammation as the body reacts against the “foreign object”

  • Unstable signal recording, especially on moving organs like the heart

  • Need for adhesives or mechanical supports, which can irritate the tissue or limit movement

These limitations inspired the researchers to ask a deceptively simple question:

“What if a device could become soft and sticky only once it touches tissue—like magic?”

THIN is their answer.

The Magic Behind THIN: How It Works

THIN is engineered to behave in two completely different ways depending on its state:

  • Dry state: It is rigid and easy to handle.

  • Wet state: It becomes extremely soft, thin, and sticky—almost like a natural part of the tissue.

This behavior is made possible by its unique bilayer structure, which consists of:

1. A Mussel-Inspired Adhesive Hydrogel Layer

The bottom layer uses catechol-conjugated alginate (Alg-CA)—a material inspired by the sticky proteins mussels use to cling to rocks underwater. When dry, it is firm and stiff, but when hydrated, it becomes flexible and forms a gentle, natural adhesion to wet biological surfaces. No glue needed.

2. A High-Performance Semiconducting Elastomer Layer

The top layer is a cutting-edge material called P(g2T2-Se). This polymer excels at conducting both ions and electrons—making it ideal for interpreting the body’s electrical signals, such as those from the brain or heart.

Together, these layers form a membrane that is:

  • Only 350 nanometers thick

  • Freestanding and substrate-free

  • Ultra-light and ultra-flexible

  • Able to wrap around surfaces smaller than 5 micrometers in radius

When hydrated, the device becomes so soft that biological tissue cannot sense it—an effect researchers call mechanical imperceptibility.

A Closer Look: Why THIN Is So Revolutionary

1. Transformability

THIN changes stiffness dramatically:

  • Dry stiffness: 1.35 GPa

  • Wet stiffness: 0.035 GPa

This is more than a 1-million-fold decrease in bending stiffness. As soon as THIN touches moisture, it curls, wraps, and adapts to the tissue naturally—similar to how plastic wrap clings to fruit.

2. Substrate-Free Design

Most flexible electronics need a supporting substrate. THIN does not. Its ultra-thin nature allows it to float freely without requiring heavy, thick, or rigid backing materials. This makes it feel almost nonexistent to the organ surface.

3. Superior Ionic–Electronic Coupling

The polymer used in THIN, P(g2T2-Se), achieved a record µC* value (mobility × capacitance product) of 1,034 F·cm⁻¹·V⁻¹·s⁻¹.

To put this in perspective:

  • It is 3.7 times higher than what conventional stretchable devices can achieve.

  • It allows THIN-based sensors to pick up extremely faint biological signals.

  • It keeps signal quality stable even when the tissue moves, stretches, or contracts.

4. No Adhesives, No Sutures, No Pressure

Because THIN adheres upon hydration, it can be placed directly onto surfaces like the beating heart without any special tools. It clings instantly and stays in place—even on highly curved, folded, or constantly moving tissue.

This is a major improvement over existing bioelectronics, which often require:

  • Glue or gels

  • Mechanical frames

  • Sticky substrates

  • Surgical sutures

All of which can irritate tissue or cause inflammation.

THIN in Action: Animal Experiments Show Stunning Results

The research team tested THIN-based organic electrochemical transistors (THIN-OECTs) on different animal organs, including:

  • Rodent hearts (epicardial electrograms)

  • Skeletal muscles (electromyograms)

  • Brain cortex (electrocorticograms)

Here’s what they found:

Instant, Seamless Attachment

As soon as THIN touched the moist organ surfaces, it adhered without any assistance. Even on the constantly beating heart, it remained stably attached.

High-Fidelity Signal Recording

THIN-OECTs captured clear, high-quality electrical signals from the heart, muscles, and brain—even when the animals moved. This is a significant step forward for wearable and implantable monitoring devices.

Excellent Biocompatibility

The membranes were implanted for over four weeks, during which:

  • No inflammation was observed

  • No tissue damage occurred

  • No foreign-body reaction was detected

This indicates that THIN blends so well with biological tissue that the body barely notices it—a rare accomplishment in bioelectronics.

Electrical Stability Over Time

The ultra-thin elastomer semiconductor maintained signal quality even during:

  • Stretching

  • Bending

  • Compression

  • Natural organ motion

Conventional devices often fail in such conditions, especially on highly dynamic organs.

Expert Insight: “A Nano-Skin for the Body”

Professor Son Donghee, the senior author, described THIN beautifully:

“Our THIN-OECT platform acts like a nano-skin—it is invisible to the body, mechanically imperceptible, and yet electrically powerful.”

He believes this platform could reshape the future of:

  • Chronic brain–machine interfaces

  • Long-term cardiac monitoring

  • Soft neuroprosthetic systems

  • Injectable or wearable medical devices

THIN’s ability to function without bulky external amplifiers makes it promising for fully integrated, next-generation biosensors.

Potential Applications: A Glimpse Into the Future

The use cases for THIN are vast and transformative. Here are some of the most promising:

1. Brain–Machine Interfaces (BMIs)

Because THIN conforms perfectly to brain tissue and picks up signals with high clarity, it could enable:

  • More accurate neural recordings

  • Long-term brain implants with less irritation

  • Better control for prosthetic limbs

  • Advances in neurological treatments

2. Cardiac Monitoring and Diagnosis

THIN could sit gently on the heart to detect abnormalities like:

  • Arrhythmias

  • Early signs of cardiac disease

  • Subtle electrical disturbances

This could lead to safer, more accurate heart monitoring systems.

3. Soft Neuroprosthetics

THIN may allow prosthetics to interact with the nervous system more naturally by:

  • Reading nerve signals

  • Sending electrical feedback

  • Forming stable long-term contacts

4. Wearable and Injectable Electronics

Because THIN is ultrathin and stick-on-ready, it could be injected or worn like a second layer of skin, allowing continuous monitoring of:

  • Muscle activity

  • Brain waves

  • Heart rhythms

  • Stress or fatigue levels

5. Minimally Invasive Medical Devices

Future versions may be:

  • Wireless

  • Multichannel

  • Bioresorbable (dissolving safely in the body after use)

This could revolutionize post-surgery monitoring or targeted therapeutic interventions.

Why THIN Matters: The Big Picture

The development of THIN marks a major step toward merging electronics with the human body in a way that feels natural and safe. Its unique characteristics—transformability, seamless adhesion, ultrathin design, and exceptional electrical performance—solve many long-standing challenges in bioelectronics.

In simple terms, THIN is important because it:

  • Makes medical implants more comfortable

  • Reduces risk of inflammation or rejection

  • Captures clearer biological signals

  • Supports long-term, stable monitoring

  • Opens doors for advanced brain–machine technologies

  • Minimizes the need for bulky equipment

This breakthrough represents a shift toward electronics that truly belong inside the body, not merely survive there.

Conclusion: A Soft Future for Bioelectronics

The creation of THIN is a powerful example of how science can draw inspiration from nature—such as mussel adhesion—and combine it with advanced nanotechnology to create something revolutionary.

As the researchers move toward wireless, injectable, and multichannel versions of THIN, we may soon see:

  • Smarter prosthetics

  • More accurate medical diagnostics

  • More comfortable long-term implants

  • Brain–machine interfaces that feel natural

  • Wearable health monitors that are practically invisible

THIN is not just a new device. It is a preview of a future where technology and biology merge seamlessly, softly, and safely—improving healthcare, enhancing human capability, and opening new frontiers in medicine.

The future of bioelectronics has never looked thinner—or more promising.

Reference: Jung, H., Lee, D., Kim, K. et al. Hydrogel–elastomer-based conductive nanomembranes for soft bioelectronics. Nat. Nanotechnol. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-02031-x

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