(27f) Bioresorbable Materials for Transient Batteries and Electrochemical Medical Devices

Bioresorbable materials can naturally degrade and disappear in the human body after a period of operation. The emergence of bioresorbable materials in recent years presents an opportunity to develop transient batteries and bioresorbable electrochemical medical devices. Fully bioresorbable construction eliminates the need for secondary surgical removal processes after treatment. While conventional batteries are widely used for energy storage, they are often non-degradable, use toxic components, and are harmful to humans, which discourages their use in implantable applications. The need for viable, implantable, and biocompatible transient battery solutions is required, which are limited in translational application due to their low operating voltage and energy density in contrast to conventional batteries. We will introduce different types of transient and/or bioresorbable batteries and compare their operating voltage and energy density. Demonstrations with our transient batteries span a spectrum of energy-demanding applications, including cardiac pacemaking in live animal models, powering Bluetooth modules and microcontrollers, and operating as a heating element. In addition, fully bioresorbable electrochemical drug delivery devices are developed for localized and controlled pharmacological treatments that combine electrochemically degradable valves and bioresorbable polymer reservoirs. Lidocaine, a local anesthetics medicine, has been successfully released to the sciatic nerve in the rat animal model.