MIT’s bioresorbable battery for internal medical devices has so far been tested only in pigs. Lab tests showed it generated 1.84 volts and powered devices for up to three days before breaking down without harmful fragments or toxins; a clinical trial is planned within two years.
In lab testing, the battery withstood a simulated pig-stomach acid bath for about two weeks. The work was described in Nature Chemical Engineering, published Sept. 21.
Senior author Giovanni Traverso said researchers see potential to improve patient safety and reduce environmental impact, since the battery’s materials would also degrade in the environment.
