Could Wi-Fi be used to treat INFECTIONS? Electronic implant kills off bug using a wireless technology

Researchers have developed a method to activate electronic implants in the body and eliminate bacterial infections using a wireless signal.

When triggered by remote technology, the gadget delivers heat to infected tissue.

And it could lead to technologies that enable drugs and treatment to be delivered to patients at the press of a button.

The technology was developed by researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts and the University of Illinois.

Mice were given electronic implants that, when a signal was sent, heated up to treat tissue that was infected with staphylococcus, or staph, which can cause minor skin abscesses or life-threatening infections of the blood. 

Tissues collected from the mice 24 hours after treatment showed no sign of the infection, while the device dissolved in 15 days, proving it can not only treat infections but also be disposed of easily.

The heating device in the implants (illustrated) has a resistor and power-receiving coil made of magnesium, and the magnesium is wrapped in 'packet' of silk, keeping it safe and controlling its dissolution time. The ability of the device to dissolve is important, as it means such implants would not need to be removed

 

In the research Mice were given electronic implants that, when a signal was sent, heated up to treat tissue that was infected with staphylococcus, or staph, shown in a scanning electron micrograph (SEM) image here. Staph can cause minor skin abscesses or life-threatening infections of the blood