Status

Started February 2025

Ongoing

Contributions

Polymer Design and Fabrication

Electrochemical Characterization

In Vivo Studies

Project Overview:

​Electroceuticals, a branch of medical devices that produce and/or monitor electrical impulses in the body, have gained popularity in recent years as a method of treating chronic medical conditions in a targeted, minimally invasive manner. Operation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a particular region of interest for researchers studying electroceuticals due to its role in the immune, digestive, endocrine, and nervous systems. Despite this seemingly prime treatment target, few ways exist to non-invasively monitor the GI tract in real time due to biocompatibility and logistical concerns.

 

Working in the Traverso Lab at MIT, I aided in the development, characterization, and testing of a bioreabsorbable polymer coating for electrodes for use in the GI tract, turning gastric and intestinal fluid inside the body into bio-batteries to power monitoring devices. Long term studies showed that the polymer coating had an impedance lower than industry standard gold electrodes while also providing a higher open circuit potential. Tests in various simulated fluids, real gastric fluid, and porcine models demonstrated the polymer's robustness and efficacy.