A Bioresorbable and Bioimplantable Energy Harvesting-Storage Integrated System as Wireless Power Supply for Biomedical Electronics

The development of transient energy harvesting or storage devices has provided a revolutionary power supply solution for the new generation of implantable biomedical electronics or disposable environmental sensors. However, existing power supply schemes still struggle to meet the requirements, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, high electrochemical performances, and/or recyclable power output, for practical applications. In this study, we present a bioresorbable and bioimplantable wireless energy harvesting-storage system (WEHSS), of which electromagnetic energies can be harvested by a planar coil through near-field inductive coupling, then be stored by the integrated bioresorbable zinc-ion battery (BZIB). Glucose/zinc sulfate/gelatin (Glu/ZS/Gel) hydrogel that can efficiently inhibit the growth of Zn dendrites, the corrosion of Zn electrodes, and the accumulation of insulating by-products is introduced as the electrolyte of BZIB, thus enabling the fast charging and robust power output of WEHSS. In addition, their biocompatibility is evaluated in living rabbit models, and fully in vivo degradation within 16 weeks without adverse biological reactions to either major organs or blood chemistry is demonstrated. The presented materials and device platforms add to the portfolio of bioresorbable and bioimplantable power supply options for biomedical electronics.