New Era of Electroceuticals: Clinically Driven Smart Implantable Electronic Devices Moving towards Precision Therapy

Abstract

In the name of electroceuticals, bioelectronic devices have transformed and become essential for dealing with all physiological responses. This significant advancement is attributable to its interdisciplinary nature from engineering and sciences and also the progress in micro and nanotechnologies. Undoubtedly, in the future, bioelectronics would lead in such a way that diagnosing and treating patients’ diseases is more efficient. In this context, we have reviewed the current advancement of implantable medical electronics (electroceuticals) with their immense potential advantages. Specifically, the article discusses pacemakers, neural stimulation, artificial retinae, and vagus nerve stimulation, their micro/nanoscale features, and material aspects as value addition. Over the past years, most researchers have only focused on the electroceuticals metamorphically transforming from a concept to a device stage to positively impact the therapeutic outcomes. Herein, the article discusses the smart implants’ development challenges and opportunities, electromagnetic field effects, and their potential consequences, which will be useful for developing a reliable and qualified smart electroceutical implant for targeted clinical use. Finally, this review article highlights the importance of wirelessly supplying the necessary power and wirelessly triggering functional electronic circuits with ultra-low power consumption and multi-functional advantages such as monitoring and treating the disease in real-time.

Soft robot–mediated autonomous adaptation to fibrotic capsule formation for improved drug delivery

“…This increase in capacitance at low frequencies was reflective of an increase in cell number/type in the surrounding environment ( 25 , 33 , 43 ) [macrophages in early days of fibrosis ( 6 , 8 , 44 )]. Data fitting allowed us to extract information from the complex signals, because R p (resistance of medium within the pores) increased over time to reflect capsular growth ( 25 , 45 , 46 ). The use of a mixed model, accounting for device and animal variability, confirmed an increase in impedance over time in all cases.…”

Wireless Battery-free and Fully Implantable Organ Interfaces

“…Fully implantable brain stimulators enable new avenues for the treatment of neurological disorders by delivering electrical stimulation directly to the brain (Figure 14a). These battery-powered devices have been instrumental in providing relief to patients suffering from conditions such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and depression; 436 however, chronic device performance, efficacy, and user acceptance are not at a level where electroceutical therapies are the first line of care. 437 In recent years, there has been significant research and development in the area of fully implantable, battery-free highly miniaturized brain stimulation devices (Figure 14b) that offer the opportunity to include multimodal functionality in a footprint that is substantially smaller than chronic battery-powered devices to overcome some of the current technology's limitations.…”

A Review of Digital Health and Biotelemetry: Modern Approaches towards Personalized Medicine and Remote Health Assessment

“…Miniaturized wireless biomedical devices have gained increasing popularity with the proliferation of mHealth. Incorporating many components ( Figure 2 ), bioelectronic devices can sense certain physiological parameters, collect sensitive information, transmit it to a detector, and further affect the human body through stimulation and drug delivery [ 34 , 35 , 36 ].…”