An Artificial Nociceptor Based on Organic Electrochemical Transistor

Artificial nociceptors are valuable for constructing human-like neural network systems capable of perceiving injury and exhibit significant application potential in medical treatment, prosthetics, and humanoid robotics. Currently, the conventional strategy for constructing artificial nociceptors involves connecting flexible sensors with synaptic devices to detect pain signals. However, this approach inevitably increases system complexity and is therefore unfavorable for large-scale integration. In this study, an artificial nociceptor with an integrated design based on an organic electrochemical transistor was proposed, in which a suspended-gate structure enabled a single device to detect pain signals. In addition, an ionic hydrogel was employed as the electrolyte layer to detect pain signals with different intensities. The device can stably detect pain signals and successfully emulate four key characteristics of biological nociceptors: threshold, relaxation, no adaptation, and sensitization. Experimental results verify that pressure sensing and synaptic functionalities are co-implemented in a single device, underscoring its promise for constructing compact and high-performance neuromorphic sensory systems.