Language

English

Publication Date

3-1-2026

Journal

Nature Biomedical Engineering

DOI

10.1038/s41551-025-01489-3

PMID

40877535

PMCID

PMC12557647

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

2-28-2026

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Abstract

Networks of miniature implants could enable simultaneous sensing and stimulation at different locations in the body, such as the heart and central or peripheral nervous system. This capability would support precise disease tracking and treatment or enable prosthetic technologies with many degrees of freedom. However, wireless power and data transfer are often inefficient through biological tissues, particularly as the number of implanted devices increases. Here we show that magnetoelectric wireless data and power transfer supports a network of millimetre-sized bioelectronic implants in which system efficiency improves with additional devices. We demonstrate wireless, battery-free networks ranging from one to six implants, where the total system efficiency increases from 0.2% to 1.3%, with each node receiving 2.2 mW at 1 cm distance. We show proof-of-concept networks of miniature spinal cord stimulators and cardiac pacing devices in large animals via efficient and robust wireless power transfer. These magnetoelectric implants provide a scalable network architecture of bioelectronic implants for next-generation electronic medicine.

Keywords

Wireless Technology, Animals, Prostheses and Implants, Electric Power Supplies, Equipment Design, Spinal Cord

Published Open-Access

yes

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