Differential Tissue‐Coupled Powering for Battery‐Free Injectable Electroceuticals

Read full text
Authors: Han Wu, Sultan Abu Saleh Mahmud, Mali Halac, Asif Iftekhar Omi, Domenica Sofia Baez Rodas, Jeremiasz Dados, Chaojun Cheng, Anyu Jiang, Cameron Wallace, Anvi Singh, Erin E. Patrick, Baibhab Chatterjee
+2 more Shriya S. Srinivasan, Adam Musa Khalifa
Cited by: 1
References: 36

Abstract

Electroceutical implants that deliver targeted neural stimulation have shown therapeutic potential for a wide range of neurological and peripheral disorders, yet wirelessly powering ultra-miniaturized, fully injectable systems remains a critical challenge. Here, we report a Thread-like Injectable Neural TechnologY (TINY) based on differential tissue-coupled powering (DTCP), which transmits energy through tissue using MHz-range differential fields generated by a compact, wearable transmitter. DTCP allows power harvesting to scale with implant length rather than cross-section, enabling a flexible, thread-like implant that integrates a custom ASIC with PEDOT-coated receiver and stimulation electrodes. Benchtop experiments in tissue-mimicking agar phantoms characterize power-transfer efficiency (PTE) and reveal that PTE increases with implant length while remaining highly tolerant to angular misalignment. In vivo tests in rat hindlimbs further demonstrate wireless sciatic nerve activation through tissue at centimeter-scale depths, confirming effective transcutaneous energy delivery for neurostimulation. A 20-day implantation study provides a short-term/subacute assessment of device positioning and local tissue response. Together, these findings address long-standing challenges in wirelessly powering injectable electroceuticals and establish DTCP as a scalable and alignment-robust powering strategy for future minimally invasive neuromodulation therapies.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Neuroscience and Neural Engineering Wireless Power Transfer Systems Innovative Energy Harvesting Technologies

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Science
Publisher
Wiley
Pages
e76915–e76915
Publication date
5 August 2026
Language
EN