WiFi Devices Used to Treat Infections

Researchers from the School of Engineering at Tufts University have developed an Implantable Medical Device (IMD) – made from silk and magnesium – that can be triggered by WiFi to treat bodily infections. The implant is designed to dissolve once it has fulfilled its purpose.

Fiorenzo Omenetto, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, said, “This is an important step forward for the development of on-demand medical devices that can be turned on remotely to perform a therapeutic function in a patient and then safely disappear after their use, requiring no retrieval.” He added, These wireless strategies could help manage post-surgical infection, for example, or pave the way for eventual ‘wi-fi’ drug delivery.”

The device was tested on living tissue from mice, treating a Staphylococcus aureus infection. A wireless transmitter administered two 10-minute heat treatments that, upon investigation 24 hours later, was revealed to have killed the bacteria.

Source: Medical Daily