This new device, made of components biodegradable in water and body fluids, will be able to raise the levels of nitrogen monoxide and dioxide in the body. It will allow doctors to follow the progress of a patient’s convalescence.
- This new box, as big as a stamp, will be able to analyze the gases present in the body.
- Biodegradable in water and in bodily fluids, it does not require an operation to remove it and is gradually destroyed.
Tomorrow, it will be possible to be monitored remotely after an operation. An international team of researchers has developed an internal and biodegradable device capable of capturing the gases present in the body. By monitoring these parameters remotely, it will be easier to establish patient monitoring after certain medical procedures. The results were published on November 6, 2020 in the journal NPG Asia Material.
An embedded and biodegradable sensor
This flexible sensor will monitor the different gases present in the body, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO), for a fixed period of time. This monitoring is important because these gases, when they are in large quantities, can become harmful to the body.
When present in the body, nitric oxide acts as a vasodilator, that is, it widens the blood vessels, which improves the passage of blood and the nutrients it carries. . Nitrogen dioxide in the body, on the other hand, characterizes the progression of disease in the body, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Additionally, nitric oxide is reactive and can be converted to nitrogen dioxide when exposed to oxygen.
Huanyu Cheng, professor in the department of engineering and mechanics at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) gives a very specific example of the future applications of such a device. “Suppose you have a heart surgery operation, the monitor outside the body might not be enough to detect the gas. It might be much more beneficial to monitor gas levels from the surface of the heart, or these internal organs. This gas sensor is implantable and biodegradable, which is another line of research on which we are working. If the patient fully recovers from surgery, they no longer need the device, which makes biodegradable devices useful.”
Better monitoring of convalescence
The case is made of silicon and magnesium, two components that are biodegradable in water and body fluids. The body can safely absorb all materials from the device. In addition, the dissolution of the casing is slow enough (one to two nanometers per day) to allow the sensors to operate while the patient completes his recovery.
The other advantage of this device lies in the size of the case, the size of a postage stamp, much less bulky than those currently used. Also, unlike current hardware, it does not need to be removed from the body, requiring less surgery.
Other work is still being carried out by the research team on this technology, which looks promising. In the future systems they have imagined, they would like to integrate sensors capable of monitoring aging in good health or even to produce boxes specific to each disease.