Electronic implants can dissolve inside the body.

Could biodegradable electronic devices be used to heal the sick?

Researchers from the University of Illinois are currently testing thermal therapy devices on mice by implanting the dissolvable electronics into their bodies and raising the temperature.

So far there are “no signs of inflammation, fibrosis, or any other kind of adverse reaction,” according to researcher John Rogers from the University of Illinois.

The experiment is a crucial step in the development of electroceuticals, which are electronic devices that may be used in the future to treat specific diseases.

The researchers designed an antenna made of magnesium and silk, that is used as a radio signal receiver to operate an LED light attached to a power circuit.

The devices were dissolved in deionised water after the experiment.

A 500 nanometer antenna dissolved in two hours at room temperature, and one six times larger than that took a few days.

The same researchers successfully completed another related experiment where they implanted probes with LED lights and wireless circuits into the brains of mice.

This kind of technology is a way for researchers to test and manipulate neural activity.