The power to heal: tiny generator could repair damaged brains, and give soldiers an edge
Team insert chip-based electric generator into mice and watch it dissolve without a trace once used; say same tech could be used to repair damaged neurons or give battle troops added intelligence
Chinese scientists have developed a nano-sized electric generator that can disappear without a trace inside the human body over time, a breakthrough they claim will bring biodegradable implants on microchips closer to reality.
The technology, reported on the latest issue of Science Advances journal, will have a wide range of applications as it can generate electric pulses to repair damaged neurons and power “brain chip” implants for soldiers in the future, pundits said.
At present, most implants must be surgically removed at the end of their lifespan. To address this issue, a number of small electric devices made from biodegradable materials that can absorbed by the human body after use have been developed around the world.
But while biodegradable electronic implants have been a hot topic in medical and military research sectors for years, efforts to develop them remain handicapped by a number of technical issues.
The US-based Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (Darpa), for example, is now funding the development of biodegradable spy cameras and microchips that can be implanted in the body or brain of a solider, media reports show.