GLUTRONICS - Glucose-fuelled ultra-low power implantable bioelectronics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Bath
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
Every year chronic diseases, including neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases, cause 40 million deaths worldwide. This toll is predicted to double in the next twenty years, based on an ageing population, population growth and unhealthy lifestyles. In the UK, chronic conditions are the leading cause of deaths and disability, affecting approximately one in three of adults.
GLUTRONICS seeks to enhance the quality of life of the millions worldwide affected by chronic conditions, and reduce the incidence of the associated premature deaths, by advancing the progress on implantable bioelectronics for personalised therapy though long-lasting, lightweight and miniature implantable power sources.
The use of bioelectronics in healthcare is fast-growing; the UK government has recognised as critical the development of innovative technologies, such as neuromodulators and electroceuticals, that can support preventative, personalised and digitalised care by enabling real-time monitoring, informing on disease progression, and providing tailored intervention. Nonetheless, current implantable medical devices are invasive, primarily due to the need for a power source, typically lithium-ion batteries, which can represent over 80% of the total volume and weight of a device. Lithium batteries hinder long-term use and comfortable deployment of medical devices because are difficult to miniaturise and require high-risk routine surgeries for replacement. As an example, the neurostimulation of the cervical vagus nerve for the treatment of patients affected by epilepsy, requires the implantation of the bulky pacemaker battery in the chest (approximately the size of a tea bag of 20-50 gr), which is connected to electrodes located in the neck via extension wires. In the UK, there are approximately 60,000 children who suffer from epilepsy and may need to have such an invasive device implanted in their body. Moreover, although the neuromodulation of the vagus nerve has shown potential therapeutic benefits for several conditions, including depression, attention disorder and Parkinson's, the invasiveness of current bioelectronic devices, and the consequent major intervention their installation would require, makes their use for these conditions unpractical.
GLUTRONICS will lead to a new generation of bioelectronics that are powered by the sugars naturally present in physiological fluids with cutting-edge glucose fuel cells. With a team's experience spanning research on fundamental science (electrocatalysis, glucose fuel cells, mathematical modelling), proof-of-concept trials in animals, in-human studies, regulatory approvals, and commercial translation, and with a cohort of industrial collaborators, GLUTRONICS will globally lead innovation on implantable glucose fuel cells. This success will be possible by: i) generating stable and biocompatible, fully-integrated abiotic glucose fuel cell designs, optimised for maximum power extraction; ii) creating a safe implantation design and an artificial subcutaneous pocket that enables long-term operations thanks to a continuous replenishment of glucose and minimum biofouling risks; iii) creating an implantable monitoring system to measure daily rhythms for tailored in vivo energy management. Load cell tests, both in vitro and in vivo, will simulate the powering of a neuromodulator (power demand >1µW). Chronic tests in large animal models (i.e., pigs), in surgical sites that align with potential areas of application, will demonstrate the clinical potential of the proposed technology.
Technical, legal and ethical challenges in the research will be considered via dedicated co-creation activities and several other engagement initiatives, which will provide inputs from a diverse range of stakeholders (patients, carers, clinicians, Med Tech experts, health economists, policymakers) and enable responsible innovation.
GLUTRONICS seeks to enhance the quality of life of the millions worldwide affected by chronic conditions, and reduce the incidence of the associated premature deaths, by advancing the progress on implantable bioelectronics for personalised therapy though long-lasting, lightweight and miniature implantable power sources.
The use of bioelectronics in healthcare is fast-growing; the UK government has recognised as critical the development of innovative technologies, such as neuromodulators and electroceuticals, that can support preventative, personalised and digitalised care by enabling real-time monitoring, informing on disease progression, and providing tailored intervention. Nonetheless, current implantable medical devices are invasive, primarily due to the need for a power source, typically lithium-ion batteries, which can represent over 80% of the total volume and weight of a device. Lithium batteries hinder long-term use and comfortable deployment of medical devices because are difficult to miniaturise and require high-risk routine surgeries for replacement. As an example, the neurostimulation of the cervical vagus nerve for the treatment of patients affected by epilepsy, requires the implantation of the bulky pacemaker battery in the chest (approximately the size of a tea bag of 20-50 gr), which is connected to electrodes located in the neck via extension wires. In the UK, there are approximately 60,000 children who suffer from epilepsy and may need to have such an invasive device implanted in their body. Moreover, although the neuromodulation of the vagus nerve has shown potential therapeutic benefits for several conditions, including depression, attention disorder and Parkinson's, the invasiveness of current bioelectronic devices, and the consequent major intervention their installation would require, makes their use for these conditions unpractical.
GLUTRONICS will lead to a new generation of bioelectronics that are powered by the sugars naturally present in physiological fluids with cutting-edge glucose fuel cells. With a team's experience spanning research on fundamental science (electrocatalysis, glucose fuel cells, mathematical modelling), proof-of-concept trials in animals, in-human studies, regulatory approvals, and commercial translation, and with a cohort of industrial collaborators, GLUTRONICS will globally lead innovation on implantable glucose fuel cells. This success will be possible by: i) generating stable and biocompatible, fully-integrated abiotic glucose fuel cell designs, optimised for maximum power extraction; ii) creating a safe implantation design and an artificial subcutaneous pocket that enables long-term operations thanks to a continuous replenishment of glucose and minimum biofouling risks; iii) creating an implantable monitoring system to measure daily rhythms for tailored in vivo energy management. Load cell tests, both in vitro and in vivo, will simulate the powering of a neuromodulator (power demand >1µW). Chronic tests in large animal models (i.e., pigs), in surgical sites that align with potential areas of application, will demonstrate the clinical potential of the proposed technology.
Technical, legal and ethical challenges in the research will be considered via dedicated co-creation activities and several other engagement initiatives, which will provide inputs from a diverse range of stakeholders (patients, carers, clinicians, Med Tech experts, health economists, policymakers) and enable responsible innovation.
