BioChip and Biomedicine Chip Design

Nanoengineered Platforms for Advanced Biochip Applications in Disease Diagnostics and Neuromorphic Perception

Recent advancements in nanomaterials and micro/nanofabrication techniques have paved the way for the development of multifunctional biochip platforms with broad applications in disease diagnostics and neuromorphic sensing. This lecture highlights two cutting-edge nano-enabled systems. The first features a nano-brush structure functionalized with specific antibodies for rapid, label-free biosensing. This platform enables the electrical detection of target biomolecules and neuron-derived exosomes in human blood plasma, achieving stage-specific differentiation of Alzheimer’s disease within two minutes. Furthermore, it supports sensitive impedimetric detection of cardiac troponin I in blood plasma and the identification of porcine pathogens in pig serum, demonstrating its versatility in both human and veterinary diagnostics. The second system centers on varied van der Waals heterostructure field-effect transistors (VHFETs). Particularly, VHFETs with engineered access regions (VHFET-AR) designed to emulate Merkel discs—tactile mechanoreceptors in human skin. These devices successfully reproduce synaptic functions, including spike-dependent plasticity, inverse notch signaling, and lateral inhibition, essential for spatial discrimination and tactile perception. Together, these nanoengineered platforms offer promising solutions for next-generation biochip technologies, advancing precision medicine and bioinspired robotic sensing.

Novel Materials and Device Platform toward Next Generation Wearable Electronics

Wearable electronics have attracted attention as an emerging technology to realize practical e-textile and smart garments. The future of wearable devices is expected to include a wearable automatic system that perceives the requisite information from human skin, clothing, the environment, and some objects. Among various technical approaches, fiber-shaped devices, as representative candidates, have been developed to enable network formation in textiles for practical wearable applications. In talk, we will discuss innovative coating process on one-dimensional substrate to implement electronic fibers for wearable e-textiles. The capillary tube-assisted coating system allowed the formation of smooth and compact nanogranular organic ferroelectric films on flexible and thin metal wires. As a result, the ferroelectric properties of the fiber-shaped polymer film were enhanced, allowing the memory device to operate at low voltages below 5 V. In addition, we will developed a highly integrated electronic fiber technology so called “Chip on a fiber” for wearable computer applications. And also, we will introduce single-crystalline two-dimensional metallic nanosheets for electronic, energy as well as senor applications.

Olfactory Sensors - Integrating Multiple Sensing and Data Analysis Approaches for Agriculture, Healthcare, and Beyond

Olfactory sensors (electronic nose, e-nose) are the last frontier of the five senses. They are expected to contribute to applications where other sensors are difficult to access, such as in enclosed environments, where physical changes are subtle, or where invisible chemical reactions like metabolism are major targets. For practical artificial olfaction, we developed a Membrane-type Surface stress Sensor (MSS) with various practical features, including high sensitivity, small size, chemical diversity, room-temperature operation, mechanical/electrical stability, low power consumption, and quick response. Based on this unique platform, research and development on both hardware and software are being continuously carried out, including the formulation of the operating principle, the development of various functional materials, and the integration with machine learning. Furthermore, the MSS Alliance/Forum/Partnership, the world's largest industry-academia-government collaboration scheme in olfactory sensors, have been organized, accumulating a vast amount of know-how. Currently, various field trials have been conducted, particularly for biological gas measurements in agricultural and medical applications, along with a newly launched NIMS startup company.

Use of photoplethysmograms (PPG) from smartphone/wearables for health assessment

What if your smartphone could tell you more than just the time and who calls you—it could tell you how your heart is doing? With 70% of the world owning a smartphone, we have a powerful, globally available platform for health monitoring right in our pockets. This talk explores how photoplethysmography (PPG), captured through smartphone cameras or wearable sensors, can be used to estimate key physiological parameters—such as heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, cardiac arrhythmias and blood pressure—anytime, anywhere. We'll dive into the development of algorithms for advanced signal processing for health screening and preventive care. We'll touch data quality assessment as an essential part of robust health assessment. And we go through the databases we have created in response to non-existent or inappropriate available data. Join us to discover how we’re building accessible digital health tools that could democratize diagnostics and bring preventive cardiology to the palm of your hand.

Biochips for point of need – laboratory challenge

Point-of-care (POC) and point-of-need (PON) systems are designed for use outside conventional laboratories; in clinical, veterinary, environmental, and food safety settings. These applications require simple operation and consistent function under variable conditions. Developing microfluidic chips for such use involves precise manufacturing, control of fluid handling, and well-defined surface chemistry. Each step must be measured against established analytical methods to verify accuracy and repeatability. The lecture will present examples of how early concepts were turned into working prototypes. It will focus on key technical decisions, practical difficulties during development, and the role of coordinated work between engineering and analytical teams.

Exploring two-photon lithography for microfabrication in biochip applications

Two-photon polymerization (2PP) is a high-resolution technique capable of fabricating complex three-dimensional microstructures with sub-micrometer precision. Unlike conventional lithography, 2PP allows freeform fabrication under ambient conditions, which is especially advantageous for biological applications requiring precise microenvironmental control. Its ability to produce structures with variable porosity, multilayered architecture, and internal heterogeneity makes it particularly suited for designing scaffolds and functional components within biochips. By enabling integration of these microstructured elements into microfluidic layouts, 2PP provides a versatile platform for advanced biochip development and tissue-engineering applications.