Dissertations and Theses

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Biomedical Engineering

First Advisor

Marom Bikson

Second Advisor

Alexander Couzis

Keywords

Electrotherapy, Electroceuticals, bioelectronic medicine, printed battery

Abstract

Non-invasive electrotherapies offer promising treatments for a wide range of conditions such as pain, headaches, depression, addiction, cognitive decline, wound healing, and drug delivery. However, patient compliance remains low due to the high initial cost, cumbersomeness and inconvenience of existing technology compared to pharmaceuticals. Current electrotherapy devices are often bulky and require users to connect disposable electrodes, initiate programs, and manage charging cycles, which hinders widespread adoption.

We address these challenges by designing and validating a novel electrotherapy platform that is single-use, disposable, low-cost, and wearable. Activated automatically upon skin contact, the device delivers a preset dose of controlled electrical stimulation without the need for electronic components or user programming. This is achieved through an integrated printable design that uses scalable additive manufacturing processes using environmentally benign materials. The resulting flexible 3D electrochemical architecture enables self-limited electrical output by matching the non-linear behavior of the power source to that of the skin-tissue load, ensuring safe and effective delivery of dosage.

Human trials confirm the efficacy and usability of the introduced technology, where the simplicity of resulted devices allows for distribution models and usage similar to pharmaceuticals, enhancing accessibility and patient compliance. Beyond neuromodulation and wound healing, the device's capability to incorporate charged drug carriers introduces a new class of transdermal drug-eluting therapies. This approach has the potential to improve adherence over traditional oral medications through continuous transdermal infusion.

Our Wearable Disposable Electrotherapy represents a significant shift from traditional methods by integrating power sources and self-limiting mechanisms into multilayer printed structure without conventional electronics. This dematerialized approach reduces costs and environmental impact associated with electronics-based equipment. We detail the development of system design processes, theoretical frameworks for self-limited dose control, novel battery cell technologies, and manufacturing adaptations. The platform's robustness is demonstrated across multiple applications, and we discuss its implications for usability, and environmental sustainability.

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Available for download on Saturday, August 22, 2026

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