Scientists Built a Paper-Based Battery You Can Swallow. It Could Power Medical Pills for Days
The paper-like battery generated 1.84 volts and powered ingestible devices for up to three days before breaking down.
- MIT researchers created a swallowable battery designed to power ingestible devices safely, allowing electronic pills to function within the body before breaking down and being absorbed.
- Swallowing conventional batteries is typically a medical emergency, yet doctors increasingly use ingestible devices like capsule cameras, creating urgent demand for safer, biodegradable power sources.
- The paper-like battery generates up to 1.84 volts and sustains power for approximately three days before degrading, according to research published in Nature Chemical Engineering.
- Experiments with pigs demonstrated the technology powering an RFID tracking capsule and a device that increased hunger hormones by as much as 50% within 20 minutes.
- Scientists emphasize that human clinical trials are necessary to establish safety, as current devices still contain non-biodegradable circuit boards requiring replacement or redesign.
11 Articles
11 Articles
MIT researchers have developed a paper-based battery that can power electronic devices in the digestive tract, then decompose and be absorbed by the body.
Smart pills can send measured data from the stomach, monitor medication use, or directly influence the body's activity. However, they need a power source that cannot be turned into hazardous waste inside the body. Therefore, scientists at MIT have developed a battery that powers electronics for several days and then decomposes into ...
Swallowing a battery is usually dangerous, but researchers want to make an exception for a device that's designed to work in the stomach. An MIT team has created a paper-based battery that can power a smartphone for days and then degrades more safely in the body than traditional batteries. In tests, it was able to maintain a wireless connection and provide energy for electrical stimulation. Such a solution could pave the way for more sophisticat…
MIT has created a battery that can be encapsulated in a swallowable capsule. It works in the stomach for several days and then gradually disintegrates.
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