Implantable, wireless sensors share secrets of healing tissues – Following an orthopedic procedure, surgeons usually rely on X-rays or MRIs to monitor the progress of their patient's recovery. The new sensors, created by Rensselaer faculty researcher Eric Ledet, would instead give surgeons detailed, real-time information from the actual surgery site. This in vivo data could lead to more accurate assessments of a patient's recovery, or provide better insight into potential complications.
The wireless sensor measures only 4 millimeters in diameter and 500 microns thick. It needs no battery, no external power, and requires no electronics within the body. Instead, the sensor is powered by the external device used to capture the sensor data.
"Our new sensor will give surgeons the opportunity to make personalized, highly detailed, and very objective diagnoses for individual patients," said Ledet, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer. "The simplicity of the sensor is its greatest strength. The sensor is inexpensive to produce, requires no external power source, yet it is robust and durable. We are very excited about the potential of this new technology."
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