The piezoelectric wafer at left shows the crystalline structure of the middle layer of lysine. On the right the wafer easily flexes for biocompatibility and to induce the lysine crystal to create an electrical output. Scale is centimeters.
Credit: Xudong Wang, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Self-assembling, transplantable “wafers” pave way for electromechanical therapies
Bioengineers have developed biocompatible generators that create electrical pulses when compressed by body motions. The generators are made up of self-assembling “piezoelectric wafers” which can be made rapidly and inexpensively to enable broad use of muscle-powered electromechanical therapies.
Piezoelectric materials such as ceramics and crystals have a special property of creating an electrical charge in response to mechanical stress. They are used in numerous devices including ultrasound transducers, vibration sensors, and cell phones. In medicine, electrostimulation using piezoelectric devices has been shown to be beneficial for accelerating the healing of wounds and bone fractures, maintaining muscle tone in stroke victims, and reducing chronic pain. However, the lack of biocompatibility—resulting in stiffness and toxicity—has stalled progress in the field.
Now bioengineers at the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering have developed implantable piezoelectric therapeutic devices. The wafer-thin, flexible devices take advantage of the fact that non-rigid, nontoxic biological materials such as silk, collagen, and amino acids also have piezoelectric properties.
The team, led by Xudong Wang, PhD., professor of Materials Science and Engineering, created a method for self-assembly of small patch-like constructs that use the amino acid lysine as the piezoelectric generator. The self-assembly process incorporates a biocompatible polymer shell that surrounds the lysine as the polymer/lysine solution evaporates. The chemical interaction between the inner layer of lysine and the polymer coating are critical for orienting the lysine into the crystal structure necessary for it to produce electric current when flexed.
“This work is an outstanding example of using the chemical properties of the materials to create a self-assembling product,” explains David Rampulla, director of the Division of Discovery Science and Technology at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which supports the research. “The process used is rapid and inexpensive, making production of such wafers for therapeutic applications feasible. That the wafers are biodegradable opens the possibility for creating electrotherapies that could be used to accelerate healing of an injured bone or muscle, for example, and then degrade and disappear from the body.”
The team did a number of tests of the properties of the piezoelectric wafers. Wafers were placed in the leg and chest of rats. The leg movements and chest movements compressed the piezoelectric wafers enough to create an electrical output. Blood tests that were done after the transplanted wafer dissolved in the rats showed normal levels of blood cells and other metabolites indicating there were no harmful effects from the dissolved implant.
Wang stresses the simplicity of the team’s elegant work that can turn muscle movements into potentially game-changing therapeutic approaches. “We believe the technology opens a vast array of possibilities including real-time sensing, accelerated healing of wounds and other types of injuries, and electrical stimulation to treat pain and other neurological disorders. Importantly, our rapid self-assembling technology dramatically reduces the cost of such devices, which has the potential to greatly expand the use of this very promising form of medical intervention.”
Original Article: Engineers harness muscle power for healing
More from: University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Muscle-powered electromechanical therapies
- Electric pulses boost gene therapy uptake in liver cells
In an effort to improve delivery of costly medical treatments, a team of researchers in electrical engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison has developed a stimulating method that could make ...
- Harnessing Myokines To Preserve Muscle Power As We Age
Muscles are the engine of the body. But with age, we begin to lose muscle mass, leading to frailty and reduced mobility. Proteins called myokines may provide a solution.
- Best home ellipticals to tackle all of your fitness goals in 2024
Whether you’re looking for a high-end elliptical or a basic machine that will get you moving, this guide will help you to find the best home elliptical for you.
- The 10 Best Microcurrent Devices for an Instant Face Lift
If you're looking to target larger areas of the face, like your cheeks and décolletage, opt for ReFa's Carat Ray Face device, which uses the same solar panel technology as its smaller counterpart. Its ...
- Harvard Doctor Says This Much Omega 3 per Day Is Essential for Good Health — Here’s How To Get It
But now, it’s easy to fill an entire medicine cabinet — or more — with vitamins and supplements. But do we really need to be taking all of them? One that experts agree is worth keeping on hand is ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Muscle-powered electromechanical therapies
[google_news title=”” keyword=”muscle-powered electromechanical therapies” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Electrostimulation using piezoelectric devices
- The Role of Piezoelectric Materials in Medical Devices
This study introduces the use of piezoelectric ceramics as internal electrical stimulation sources at the implant site, aiming to accelerate healing. Unlike wired devices, piezoelectric ceramics can ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Electrostimulation using piezoelectric devices
[google_news title=”” keyword=”electrostimulation using piezoelectric devices” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]