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摘要

Standard permanent electronic hardware implants act as a nidus for infection; bacteria form biofilms along percutaneous wires, or seed haematog-enously, with the potential to migrate within the body and provoke immune-mediated pathological tissue reactions. Here, the authors report materials, device architectures, integration strategies, and in vivo demonstrations in rats of implantable, multifunctional silicon sensors for the brain, for which all the constituent materials naturally resorb via hydrolysis and/or metabolic action, eliminating the need for extraction. The measurement performance of the authors' resorbable devices compares favorably with that of non-resorbable clinical standards. In the experiments, insulated percutaneous wires connect to an externally mounted, miniaturized wireless potentiostat for data transmission. In a separate setup, a sensor is connected to an implanted (but only partially resorbable) data-communication system, proving the principle that there is no need for percutaneous wiring. The devices can be adapted to sense fluid flow, motion, pH or thermal characteristics, in formats compatible with the body's abdomen and extremities, as well as the deep brain, suggesting the sensors might meet many needs in clinical medicine.