Scientists Invent a Digestible, Paper-Based Battery That Can Power Swallowed or Implanted Medical Devices
The prototype powered an ingestible tag and a stomach-stimulating capsule, and one battery worked for at least three days in pig trials.
- MIT researchers reported Monday in Nature Chemical Engineering that they successfully tested a biodegradable paper battery in pigs, powering ingestible medical devices that dissolve safely in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Conventional batteries pose risks like toxic leakage or chemical burns if they fail inside the body. MIT mechanical engineer Giovanni Traverso developed a non-toxic alternative using magnesium, molybdenum, and cellulose materials designed to be absorbed safely.
- Testing in pigs, the battery powered a wireless RFID tag and stomach-stimulating capsule for up to three days. Twenty minutes of gastric stimulation increased hunger-related hormone ghrelin by about 36% without visible tissue damage.
- Materials scientist John Rogers at Northwestern University noted the safety advantage: "Making every part of the device bioresorbable could eliminate the risk of a leftover component becoming lodged in the gastrointestinal tract." Current prototypes still include non-bioresorbable circuit boards.
- Traverso identified the "biggest remaining challenge" as controlling the battery's working lifetime and making its breakdown predictable. The team is standardizing manufacturing and adjusting wax coatings so batteries function for specific periods, with clinical trials expected in about two years.
25 Articles
25 Articles
Scientists Invent a Digestible, Paper-based Battery That Can Power Swallowed or Implanted Medical Devices
So far, the technology has been tested only in pigs. If it's successful in humans, it could one day power technologies that monitor your health or deliver drugs or electrical currents inside the body
Scientists made a battery you can swallow
Take it with a sip of water, and it never comes back out. MIT researchers have engineered a prototype battery designed to power ingestible medical devices for several days before completely dissolving in the gut. In animal trials detailed in the scientific journal Nature Chemical Engineering, the paper-thin batteries kept devices running inside pigs (whose […] Read the original article here: Scientists made a battery you can swallow
Scientists Develop Edible Battery That Powers Medical Devices Inside the Body for Up to 3 Days
Scientists have developed an edible battery that can safely operate inside the body for up to three days before naturally dissolving, a breakthrough researchers say could transform how doctors diagnose, monitor and treat gastrointestinal diseases without the need for conventional implanted batteries. The experimental battery, reported by the Financial Times and developed by researchers in […]
Scientists made a paper battery you can swallow to power internal...
A paper-based, ingestible battery powered medical devices inside pigs for up to three days before gradually breaking down, a new study reported. Scientists built a swallowable paper battery that can power medical devices inside the body and then gradually break down after its job is done. So far, the battery has been tested only in pigs, in which it powered devices for up to three days. If proven safe and effective in people, the battery could s…
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