Carnegie Mellon University researchers are developing edible electronic devices that can be implanted in the body to improve patient care.
“We are creating electronically active medical devices that can be implanted in the body,” said Christopher Bettinger, an assistant professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at CMU. “The idea is for a patient to consume a pill that encapsulates the device.”
Mr. Bettinger, along with Jay Whitacre , a professor of materials science and engineering, is creating edible power sources for medical devices that can be taken orally using materials found in the daily diet.
CMU researchers report that the edible device could be programmed and deployed in the gastrointestinal tract or the small intestine depending upon packaging. Once the battery packaging is in place, Mr. Bettinger’s team would activate the battery.
The battery could power biosensors to measure biomarkers or monitor gastric problems. The battery also could be used to stimulate damaged tissue or help in targeted drug delivery for certain types of cancer.
Mr. Bettinger has worked for more than a decade at the interface of materials science and biomedical engineering.