Communications of the ACM
Futuristic 'Transient Electronics' Disappear When No Longer Needed
"Transient electronics" could be implanted in the body to relieve pain or battle infection for a pre-defined period of time before dissolving.
Credit: Hive Health Media
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers have developed tiny, biocompatible electronic devices that could be implanted into the body to relieve pain or battle infection for a specific period of time.
The researchers say these "transient electronics" also could have other uses, such as in consumer electronics products.
"Many new opportunities open up once you start thinking about electronics that could disappear in a controlled and programmable way," says University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor John Rogers. He says such opportunities include cell phones and other devices that stop working on a timetable corresponding to the time for upgrading to a new model.
Rogers' team already has designed transient electronics as temperature sensors, solar cells, and miniature digital cameras. The electronics are encased in material that dissolves completely after a certain period of time when it is exposed to water or body fluids.
"By altering the number of layers of the wrapping, scientists can define everything about how the device will dissolve in the body or in the environment, including its overall lifetime," Rogers says.
From TG Daily
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