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Abstract Immune checkpoint blockade antibodies have promising clinical applications but suffer from disadvantages such as severe toxicities and moderate patient–response rates. None of the current delivery strategies, including local administration aiming to avoid systemic toxicities, can sustainably supply drugs over the course of weeks; adjustment of drug dose, either to lower systemic toxicities or to augment therapeutic response, is not possible. Herein, we develop an implantable miniaturized device using electrode-embedded optical fibers with both local delivery and measurement capabilities over the course of a few weeks. The combination of local immune checkpoint blockade antibodies delivery via this device with photodynamic therapy elicits a sustained anti-tumor immunity in multiple tumor models. Our device uses tumor impedance measurement for timely presentation of treatment outcomes, and allows modifications to the delivered drugs and their concentrations, rendering this device potentially useful for on-demand delivery of potent immunotherapeutics without exacerbating toxicities. 

A bidirectional brain interface with both “write” and “read” functions can be an important tool for fundamental studies and potential clinical treatments for neurological diseases. Herein, a miniaturized multifunctional fiber‐based optoacoustic emitter (mFOE) is reported thatintegrates simultaneous optoacoustic stimulation for “write” and electrophysiology recording of neural circuits for “read”. Because of the intrinsic ability of neurons to respond to acoustic wave, there is no requirement of the viral transfection. The orthogonality between optoacoustic waves and electrical field provides a solution to avoid the interference between electrical stimulation and recording. The stimulation function of the mFOE is first validated in cultured ratcortical neurons using calcium imaging. In vivo application of mFOE for successful simultaneous optoacoustic stimulation and electrical recording of brain activities is confirmed in mouse hippocampus in both acute and chronical applications up to 1 month. Minor brain tissue damage is confirmed after these applications. The capability of simultaneous neural stimulation and recording enabled by mFOE opens up new possibilities for the investigation of neural circuits and brings new insights into the study of ultrasound neurostimulation.

 

In this study, we fabricated a highly flexible fiber-based capacitive humidity sensor using a scalable convergence fiber drawing approach. The sensor’s sensing layer is made of porous polyetherimide (PEI) with its porosity produced in situ during fiber drawing, whereas its electrodes are made of copper wires. The porosity induces capillary condensation starting at a low relative humidity (RH) level (here, 70%), resulting in a significant increase in the response of the sensor at RH levels ranging from 70% to 80%. The proposed humidity sensor shows a good sensitivity of 0.39 pF/% RH in the range of 70%–80% RH, a maximum hysteresis of 9.08% RH at 70% RH, a small temperature dependence, and a good stability over a 48 h period. This work demonstrates the first fiber-based humidity sensor fabricated using convergence fiber drawing.