Stretchable, Fatigue-Resistant Polymeric Fibers with Tunable Optical or Electrical Properties
We have developed a versatile platform for fabricating stretchable, fatigue-resistant hydrogel fibers with diameters ranging from 50 µm to several millimeters. The fibers feature highly tunable mechanical and physical properties, including stretchability, elastic modulus, and water content, while maintaining excellent durability under repeated deformation. Through different material formulations and fabrication processes, the fibers can be engineered to exhibit either high optical transparency for light transmission or electrical conductivity for signal transmission. These capabilities enable diverse applications in optical waveguides, flexible electronics, wearable sensors, biomedical interfaces, and soft robotics. The technology has been experimentally validated through mechanical characterization and demonstrated in functional biomedical interfaces. We seek partners interested in application-specific development and commercialization.
About Binghamton University
Binghamton University is a large, comprehensive public research university in the State University of New York system. Industry collaborates on campus through an advanced technologies complex with shared labs and prototyping facilities, and a health sciences campus adjacent to regional hospital partners. A downtown incubator and maker spaces connect faculty and startups with suppliers and manufacturing in New York’s Southern Tier, while co-op and internship pathways build talent pipelines for corporate R&D. Research is supported by competitive federal funding from agencies such as NSF, NIH, DOE, and DoD, with additional state and industry sponsorship. A dedicated technology transfer office streamlines IP protection, licensing, and startup formation.
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