Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a wireless, battery-free implant system that can be used to monitor bone fracture recovery while eliminating electronic waste.
Traditional implant systems have relied on batteries that are bulky and difficult to recycle, Environment+Energy Leader explained in a summary of the study. Plus, battery-powered versions "must be frequently removed to be recharged, which leads to intermittent data and function loss and can contribute to patient noncompliance over time," the authors say.
The new implants instead receive power wirelessly using near-field communication and far-field power transfer. They require no manual recharging and utilize Bluetooth Low Energy for data transmission. Meanwhile, they can capture real-time data on bone healing and have proved to show strain reduction as fractures healed.
Electronic waste is a growing environmental problem. According to the World Health Organization, more than 68 million tons of e-waste were produced in 2022 with less than a quarter of that documented as being formally collected and recycled. When improperly disposed of, e-waste can release dangerous contaminants such as lead into the environment, and informal e-waste recycling activities put people — especially children and pregnant people — at risk.
Meanwhile, lithium mining for batteries often contaminates local water resources and contributes to the overheating of the planet, according to Earth.org.
These new medical devices are one of many solutions that can help with e-waste. For one, researchers at Cornell University have created a new process that can extract 99.9% of the gold from electronic waste to help turn carbon dioxide into useful organic materials. And in Germany, AI-powered robots are working alongside people to handle e-waste materials and recover valuable resources.
As for the implants, they could be a sign of what's to come in the medical industry.
"By removing one of the largest sources of e-waste in medical devices — batteries — this platform establishes a blueprint for long-term, maintenance-free biosensors that could extend beyond orthopedics into industrial and infrastructure monitoring," E+E Leader stated.
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