A West Texas A&M University professor was recently awarded his third and fourth patents on an artificial material that can revolutionize the development of protheses, traumatic brain injury studies and more.

Dr. Vinu Unnikrishnan was awarded patents in February and March for simulated tissue that acts in the same way as human tissues but is made from silicone.

“We were able to come up with a material that mimics the mechanical properties of human skin and tissues using commercially available silicone,” Unnikrishnan said.

That material is known as “biofidelic” — meaning it behaves biomechanically like human tissue but does not contain any biological material or attribute. The biofidelic material, which Unnikrishnan and co-inventors first patented in 2018 while at the University of Alabama, can be produced in any form or shape, and can be stored at room temperature. It can even replicate the properties of different types of diseased tissues, allowing the study of those properties when biological material is scarce or unavailable.

Unnikrishnan, an assistant professor of civil engineering, focuses on the study of the mechanics of soft composites, especially tissues of the human the body.

“We initially started looking at alternatives to human tissues while trying to acquire tissues to study pelvic organ prolapse, as getting hold of sufficient human tissues for our mechanical tests were challenging,” Unnikrishnan said. “With our biofidelic material, made from silicone, there are no safety issues, no ethical issues — it’s all just from commercially available silicone, utilizing different mixes to replicate mechanical behavior of human tissues, both healthy and diseased.”

Unnikrishnan’s third patent expands on the material’s capabilities through the embedding of short carbon fibers, making the material conductive to electrical signals — much as the brain and nervous system are in bodies.

“Now, this material is more multifunctional, with potential uses in wearable electronic devices, in studying brain injuries and in the development of prostheses,” Unnikrishnan said.

The fourth patent recognizes the broader uses of the original biofidelic material, which can possibly be used in personal protective equipment, creating artificial-looking skin for special effects makeup, cosmetic surgeries and repairs, animal wound management and more.

“I have had initial discussions with cosmetic industry leaders,” Unnikrishnan said. “Once you get further into this study, other applications will open up.”

Unnikrishnan’s second patent for the material is already in use for specially crafted shoe insoles for diabetic patients; the biofidelic material can potentially reduce irritation and the growth of ulcers on the patients’ feet.

“Dr. Unnikrishnan is a talented researcher and engineer,” said Dr. Emily Hunt, dean of the College of Engineering. “His recent patent awards represent the innovative spirit and creativity of the College of Engineering at WT. We congratulate him on this milestone in his career.”

Unnikrishnan joined the WT faculty in 2019, attracted by the College of Engineering’s focus on practical, real-world applications. He received both a Killgore research grant and a WTAMU Foundation grant in 2019 to further his studies into the biofidelic material.

He is joined on the third patent by former doctoral student Arnab Chanda, former University of Alabama colleague Kim Lackey, and former undergraduate student Joseph Robbins. He is joined on the fourth patent by Chanda and former undergraduate student Zachary Flynn. Chanda, Robbins and Flynn all studied at University of Alabama, as well.

Unnikrishnan’s discoveries are in line with the University’s goal of becoming a Regional Research University, as described in WT’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

-West Texas A&M University