Wearable and Implantable Electroceuticals for Therapeutic Electrostimulations

Adv Sci (Weinh). 2021 Feb 19;8(8):2004023. doi: 10.1002/advs.202004023. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Wearable and implantable electroceuticals (WIEs) for therapeutic electrostimulation (ES) have become indispensable medical devices in modern healthcare. In addition to functionality, device miniaturization, conformability, biocompatibility, and/or biodegradability are the main engineering targets for the development and clinical translation of WIEs. Recent innovations are mainly focused on wearable/implantable power sources, advanced conformable electrodes, and efficient ES on targeted organs and tissues. Herein, nanogenerators as a hotspot wearable/implantable energy-harvesting technique suitable for powering WIEs are reviewed. Then, electrodes for comfortable attachment and efficient delivery of electrical signals to targeted tissue/organ are introduced and compared. A few promising application directions of ES are discussed, including heart stimulation, nerve modulation, skin regeneration, muscle activation, and assistance to other therapeutic modalities.

Keywords: electroceuticals; nanogenerators; self‐powered bioelectronics; therapeutic electrostimulations; wearable and implantable.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Electric Stimulation Therapy / instrumentation*
  • Electric Stimulation Therapy / methods*
  • Electrodes, Implanted*
  • Humans
  • Wearable Electronic Devices*