Bioelectronics is a rapidly growing field that explores how targeted electrical signals can harness the body’s natural mechanisms to diagnose and treat a range of diseases. Furthermore, the field doesn’t just represent a category of medical devices but can also work in conjunction with drugs and medical procedures. It can also provide more accessible and affordable approaches to global health especially in developing countries.
Bioelectronic medicine may one day allow the body to heal itself from inflammatory diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and Alzheimer’s through using electric current. A team of researchers from Tufts, Perdue, Harvard, and Women‘s Hospital are working on a new bioelectronic smart bandage capable of monitoring and treating wounds that require long-term care such as burns and ulcers. In addition, a team from UC Berkeley are working on a bandage that detects tissue damage prior to it becoming visible. The bandage monitors the electrical changes caused by cell death and can help to detect problems such as pressure ulcers which can cause death.
Bioelectronic medicine may one day allow the body to heal itself from inflammatory diseases such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and Alzheimer’s through using electric current. A team of researchers from Tufts, Perdue, Harvard, and Women‘s Hospital are working on a new bioelectronic smart bandage capable of monitoring and treating wounds that require long-term care such as burns and ulcers. In addition, a team from UC Berkeley are working on a bandage that detects tissue damage prior to it becoming visible. The bandage monitors the electrical changes caused by cell death and can help to detect problems such as pressure ulcers which can cause death.
Electronic pills are another piece of technology that can sense problems in your intestines and are capable of releasing drugs. This idea was first introduced in 1970 with researchers asking patients to swallow prototypes that measure temperature and other biomarkers. Currently, there are ingestible cameras used for gastrointestinal surgeries and sensors that are attached to medications used to study how drugs are broken down in the body. Researchers are working on biodegradable electronic pills that will not harm the human body.
Bioelectronics has the potential to become a pillar of medical treatment and play a key role in the next generation of medical technology innovation. The integration of biomaterials with electronic elements, such as electrodes, chips and transistors, yields hybrid systems that may function as physiological sensors, biosensors and biocomputing devices which can help shape our world.