Multi-threshold synaptic transistor for an artificial sensory-pain integrated receptor.

Pain is a simple yet effective self-defense mechanism in humans that enables rapid responses to harmful stimuli. The inability to sense pain increases the risk of injury due to delayed reactions to such stimuli. However, current prostheses often struggle to differentiate between sensory and pain-like signals and require complex systems to achieve this functionality. In this study, we developed an artificial receptor capable of detecting both sensory and pain-like signals with the threshold discrimination and memory functions intrinsically embedded in the transistor. This functionality was realized by stacking two organic semiconductors and selecting appropriate gate electrodes to achieve multi-threshold and selective memory functions. Integrating these fabricated devices as artificial receptors into prosthetics can significantly enhance patient safety by enabling pain detection while simultaneously reducing fabrication costs.