Liquid metal–based stretchable electronics offer high electrical performance and seamless integration with deformable systems but face challenges in achieving scalable, high-resolution patterning. In this work, we present a method for micropatterning liquid metal particle (LMP) films with feature sizes as small as 5 micrometers by integrating electrostatically enabled colloidal self-assembly and microtransfer printing. The resulting cold-welded LMP micropatterns exhibit exceptional electromechanical properties, high conductivity (2.4 × 10 ⁶ siemens per meter), stretchability (more than 1200%), and strain- and pressure-insensitive resistance, owing to their multiscale and dynamic morphologies. Demonstrations in highly stretchable strain sensors and cardiac mapping devices highlight the capabilities of this method for creating high-performance, highly stretchable electronic systems. Notably, balloon catheter–integrated LMP microelectrode arrays show low impedance under extreme deformations and enable high-resolution endocardial electrogram mapping inside the human heart. This method expands the potential of liquid metal–based stretchable electronics for a wide range of applications, including implantable biomedical devices and soft robotics.

Bacterial skin infections cause a variety of common skin diseases that require drugs that are safer than antibiotics and have fewer side effects. However, for evaluating skin disease drugs, human skin tissue in vitro constructed traditionally on Transwell has inefficient screening ability because of its fragile barrier function. With mechanical forces and dynamic flow, the organ-on-a-chip system became an innovative, automatic, and modular way to construct pathological models and analyze effective pharmaceutical ingredients in vitro. In this research, we integrated skin extracellular matrix and skin cells into a microfluidic chip to construct a biomimetic “interface-controlled-skin-on-chip” system (IC-SoC), which constructed a stable air–liquid interface (ALI) and necessary mechanical signals for the development of human skin equivalents. The results demonstrated that in the microfluidic system with a flowing microenvironment and ALI, the skin tissue formed in vitro could differentiate into more mature tissue morphological structures and improve barrier function. Then, following exposing the skin surface on the IC-SoC to the stimulation of Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes) and SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), the barrier function decreased, as well as inflammatory factors such as IL-1α, IL-8, and PEG2 increased in the medium channel of the IC-SoC. After this pathological skin model was treated with dexamethasone and polyphyllin H, the results showed that polyphyllin H had a significant repair effect on the skin barrier and a significant inhibition effect on the release of inflammation-related cytokines, and the effects were more prominent than dexamethasone. This automated microfluidic system delivers an efficient tissue model for toxicological applications and drug evaluation for bacterial-infected damaged skin instead of animals.

Implantable sensors can provide access to accurate, continuous, and minimally invasive monitoring of physiological signals from internal organs and tissues, thereby facilitating timely diagnosis, closed-loop intervention, and advanced health management. Among the various types of implantable sensors, those capable of measuring physical parameters–such as temperature, force, and flow–are particularly important due to their ability to monitor physical conditions critical to nearly all organs and to provide insights into a wide range of health conditions. This review presents recent progress in four key types of implantable physical sensors: strain sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and flow sensors. It covers their engineering principles, design considerations, in vivo performances, and clinical relevance. The review also addresses critical challenges and future opportunities in the development of implantable physical sensors, such as flexibility and stretchability, biocompatibility, long-term stability, and the translation of these sensing technologies from bench to clinic. Graphical Abstract