Katrina Cox, 9-28-12, 12:38 am, 'Melt in the body' electronics devised

Recently in the US scientist have developed electronics that are super thin and dissolve inside the body after just a short period. This new device could be used in a variety of medical ways and is already being used to help keep wounds heated so that a bacterial infection cannot set in. This is a relatively new field of science called “transient electronics. “ These new devices are made of silicon and magnesium oxide and then coated with silk. The silicon is extremely thin and known as a nanomembrane. This nanomembrane can dissolve in just a matter of days and the silk controls how quickly it dissolves. The silk is broken down and then reformed, and this process allows altering the silk to dissolve fast or slow. Also, the devices can be left in for longer periods of time to monitor the body or release drugs at a controlled pace. Because the technology is so new there are endless possibilities as to what it can do for modern medicine. This is exciting news for people all around the globe. Due to the small size of the dissolving electronics, they can be created at an affordable cost and transported to just about anywhere easily. Therefore many more people may benefit from them and their potential uses. The devices also have an environmentally friendly component since they completely dissolve. This may be able to directly affect other areas of environmental protection and technology, such as cell phones and computers by decreasing the amount of waste that goes into landfills once they become outdated.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19737125