Tech Under the Skin: The Growing Use of Implantable Electronics
March 2024
By Daniel Del Carpio
Edited by Dannah Altiti
Schematic illustration of wirelessly charging a body-implanted electronic using ultrasonic waves. Adapted from "Charging Underwater and Body-Implanted Electronic Devices Using Ultrasonic Waves," by National Research Council of Science and Technology, 2022.
As medical equipment continues to evolve, implantable electronics have begun playing an increasingly important role in many medical procedures and treatments. Two of these implants that I will be discussing have just recently made big splashes in their fields: Temporary pacemakers and Neuralink not only promise to revolutionize patient care but also hold great potential for future applications by pushing the boundaries of science.
Temporary Pacemakers
The most impactful of these new implantable technologies is the temporary pacemaker. Pacemakers are small devices that are implanted in the heart through surgery when a patient shows signs of irregular heartbeat, also known as arrhythmia. Pacemakers have been around since 1967 and the installation and removal of pacemakers requires two total surgeries (DeForge, 2019). The pacemaker would then be removed by pulling the pacemaker out through a scar that has formed around the pacer’s lead (Saunders, 2012). Through a new invention made by John A. Rodgers from Northwestern University, a temporary pacemaker was made that only requires surgery for installation, and then after 60 days, completely dissolves in the human body (Saunders, 2012). The need for this temporary pacemaker came from very subtle internal bleeding occurring upon removal of the pacemaker in some patients that could lead to death. The desolvation of the pacemaker is made possible due to the components of it being soluble in water and through a chemical process known as hydrolysis. By having the temporary pacemakers be primarily made from silicon, a water-soluble material, water molecules can break down into hydrogen and hydroxide ions and cleave the silicon-silicon bonds.
Neuralink
Neuralink is a nanotechnology company founded by Elon Musk in 2016. This company is responsible for the creation of a device that is implanted into a person’s brain and provides them with direct access to computers and other electronic devices (Chappell, 2021). Neuralink has most recently begun performing human trials after previously testing the device in apes. It is hoped that through the installation of these brain-computer interface devices (BCFIs), individuals who suffer from paralysis, sensory loss, or even ALS, could be able to overcome their physical limitations and experience not only an enhancement in their physical wellbeing but also a significant improvement in their overall quality of life (Drew, 2019). Neuralink is hoped to be able to accomplish this by establishing an electrical connection between the brain and the neuralink device through the implantation of thin electrode threads. These thin electrode threads are able to detect the signals produced by the brain and send commands to external devices that would then be able to restore the sensory and motility functions (Drew, 2019). Although much more testing has to be conducted, Neuralink has shown promising results early on what it could one day accomplish.
Sources to read more about implantable Electronics:
Wearable Wireless Electronics – American Scientist https://www.americanscientist.org/article/wearable-wireless-electronics
Neuralink - NPR https://www.npr.org/2024/01/30/1227850900/elon-musk-neuralink-implant-clinical-trial
Implantable device could enable injection-free control of diabetes – MIT News https://news.mit.edu/2023/implantable-device-enable-injection-free-control-diabetes-0918
