Biodegradable electronics implanted in mice

Biodegradable electronic implants that can be reabsorbed by the body have been used to administer drugs in mice, a group of international researchers has announced.

In a paper published in US journal Science, the researchers describe how electronic circuits made from silicon, magnesium and silk can be used as medical implants to deliver treatments before degrading into the surrounding environment.

Many biomedical implants only need to operate for a certain period of time, after which they [could now] dissolve and disappear to eliminate unwanted, and unnecessary, device load on the body, explained paper co-author John Rogers, a bioengineer and mechanical scientist at the University of Illinois, USA — via redwolf.newsvine.com