ELECTRONIC BLOOD VESSELS: Researchers integrate electronics with fabricated blood vessels
November 04, 2020 • 1 min read
-- Door opens to advanced patient monitoring
Recent work by a Chinese-Swiss research team developed electronic blood vessels that can be actively tuned to address subtle changes in the body after implantation.
The blood vessels – made of a metal-polymer conductor membrane that’s flexible and biodegradable – were able to effectively replace arteries in rabbits.
The new approach to vessel development overcomes limitations of conventional tissue engineered blood vessels (TEBVs), effectively connecting to electronic devices to deliver genetic material, enable controlled drug release, and facilitate the formation of new endothelial blood vessel tissue.
Researchers say integrating flexible electronics paves the way for sensors to keep tabs on blood pressure, sugar levels, and other metrics. Combined with artificial intelligence, the flow of data is an important step closer to a future of advanced patient health monitoring and analytical tools for better patient care and earlier intervention.
Welcome to the new age of biohacking.