Biodegradable Implantable Electronics with Wireless Technology for Real-Time Clinical Applications.

Abstract

Wireless biodegradable electronics offer a transformative approach to transient biomedical applications by combining fully implantable, resorbable architectures with untethered communication and power delivery. These systems address key limitations of conventional implants, including infection risk, foreign body response, and the need for surgical retrieval. As biodegradable implants are designed to disappear after fulfilling their function, wireless operation is essential to avoid permanent components such as transcutaneous wires. Advances in bioresorbable materials have enabled electronic components capable of functioning over clinically relevant timescales before safely degrading in vivo. Wireless communication techniques, including radio frequency telemetry, LC resonators, and ultrasound-mediated links, enable real-time data transmission with minimal energy requirements. Complementary power delivery strategies, such as inductive and capacitive coupling, acoustic energy transfer, photovoltaic harvesting, and transient batteries, support autonomous function across diverse anatomical sites. These integrated platforms have demonstrated utility in neural recording and stimulation, pressure monitoring, cardiac rhythm regulation, gastrointestinal leak detection, immune response tracking, and spatiotemporally controlled drug delivery. This review outlines recent advances in wireless biodegradable electronics, spanning materials, system design, and clinical applications, and provides a foundation for future development of transient implants tailored to short-term therapeutic and diagnostic needs.