Medical implants are seeing widespread adoption these days. From life-saving pacemakers regulating heart rhythms to hip replacements that grant mobility, medical implants have woven themselves into the fabric of healthcare. These implants have enabled patients to overcome debilitating conditions and reclaim normal lives.
While they improve patient outcomes, implants come with their own set of challenges—ranging from the risk of long-term complications to the need for follow-up surgeries for implant removal.
To address these challenges, scientists have advanced research in bioresorbable materials that can be used to develop degradable implants.
But what are these bioresorbable materials? And why are they crucial for the medical device industry?
In this article, we give you an overview of bioresorbable materials and discuss how scientists are advancing research in the area.
Bioresorbable materials and their importance
Bioresorbable materials are ones which dissolve safely inside the body over time. They are deemed safe and have almost zero side effects. Some bioresorbable materials are Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and Polylactic Acid-like derivatives like PLD, PLDL, PLC, PLG, etc.
For instance, a bioresorbable screw attached to support the bone during the fracture healing process will dissolve gradually and be replaced by the growing bone tissue.
Why are bioresorbable materials the talk of the town in the medical industry?
Bioresorbable materials are gaining popularity in the medical implants and device industry because of their potential to dissolve after fulfilling the purpose. As a result,
- The patient’s body part or organ gets the required support for the required period.
- There is no need to perform a second surgery to remove the implant
- There is no risk of long-term complications like the body rejecting the implant, allergies or infections
- There is a reduced inflammatory response in the body compared to permanent implants
- They do not interfere with imaging procedures like MRI. Unlike metal implants that can create distortion, bioresorbable implants allow clear visualisation of tissues and structures.
Areas scientists are advancing bioresorbable materials research
While bioresorbable material research was in its infancy a decade ago, currently, it’s a rapidly growing field. According to the Markets and Markets report, the global bioresorbable polymers market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% and reach USD 688 million by 2027.
From developing passive implants to active electronic implantable devices, bioresorbable materials research has advanced rapidly in the past two decades. Over 10,000 scientific research papers are published in reputed publications and journals.
Bioresorbable implants
Research in bioresorbable implants started with temporary medical implants, which were simple, passive implants that did not require electronic devices.
Replicating temporary implants using bioresorbable materials was a good start as they carried minimal risk of complexities.
Some implants scientists replaced with bioresorbable materials include:
- Catheters: These are thin, flexible tubes inserted into the body to deliver medication, fluids, or gases to specific areas of the body.
- Stents: These are small, expandable tubes that keep arteries open after angioplasty.
- Orthopaedic implants: These are used to replace a joint, bone, or cartilage due to damage or deformity caused by factors such as breaking a leg, losing a limb, or a congenital defect.
- Brachytherapy implants: These are used in radiation therapy to treat cancer. Implants, such as hollow needles, catheters (hollow tubes), or balloons filled with fluid, are inserted into or near the cancer for a required period, then removed.
Bioresorbable medical sensors and electronic devices
Several bioresorbable implants are in use currently, including catheters, stents and orthopaedic implants. However, there are no bioresorbable electronic medical devices or sensors currently in use.
While advances in material science have paved the way for transient electronic devices, no such device has made the leap from animal testing to human trials. Scientists are working hard to make the dream of transient electronic devices a reality.
Temporary pacemaker
For instance, a Northwestern scientist, John Rogers, has developed a temporary pacemaker from bioresorbable materials. He has also co-founded a startup named NuSera Biosystems to commercialise it.
The temporary pacemaker by NuSera Biosystems is a one-of-its-kind bioresorbable electronic device that can automatically dissolve in the body after providing sufficient support to the heart.
What makes it unique?
Other bioresorbable implants in the market, including stents and orthopaedic implants, are passive medical implants and not electronic devices. NuSera Biosystems’ temporary pacemaker is an electronic medical device that provides electric signals to aid the rhythmic movements of the heart muscle.
Pacemaker wires are often implanted for patients undergoing open heart surgery or major cardiac surgery to provide initial support to help the heart regain its rhythm. Then, a follow-up surgery is performed after several days to remove the pacemaker wires.
While it is a safe surgery, it has led to complications in several cases. The most popular one was the untimely death of Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon, due to a muscle tissue tear during pacemaker wire removal, leading to serious internal bleeding.
NuSera Biosystems’ temporary pacemaker can reduce such risks as it gradually dissolves in the body, leaving no traces behind.
While the temporary pacemaker holds amazing potential, it is still an in-the-lab concept. John Rogers and his team are working on animal testing and gathering the required data to get approval for human trials.
Bioresorbable sensors
Developing bioresorbable or biomedical sensors that can aid with drug delivery, actively monitor organ functioning and drug responses in patients without the need to be removed via surgery is the ultimate goal of biomedical researchers.
Potential use cases of bioresorbable sensors:
- Biochemical sensing and drug delivery systems
- Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
- Neurological monitoring and stimulation
- Wound healing and nerve regeneration
- Surgical navigation and imaging
- Cardiovascular monitoring
Challenges with bioresorbable material research
While bioresorbable materials hold tremendous potential to revolutionise medical interventions, scientists are advancing research to address its challenges, including:
- Biocompatibility and reliability: They have to ensure that the materials used don’t trigger any adverse immune response or cause inflammation during degradation.
- Electronic performance: The bioresorbable device must function effectively during its intended lifespan without compromising its degradation process, which remains a significant technical challenge.
- Manufacturing complexities and costs: Currently, bioresorbable implants are manufactured manually by scientists for research only. Achieving scalability and cost-effectiveness while maintaining the required standards of biocompatibility remains a challenge.
- Regulatory approval and standardisation: Establishing regulatory frameworks and standards to validate safety, efficacy and reliability of bioresorbable electronics is a challenge that might delay their approval and market entry.
- Long-term effects and residue concerns: Scientists need to ensure the degraded components do not pose risks or complications after their dissolution.
Bottomline
Bioresorbable materials present a transformative frontier in medical implants. However, they are still in the early stages, awaiting human trials. While they may not fully replace permanent implants, they can avoid unintended medical complications in temporary implants.
As researchers advance toward potential approvals, we can foresee a future where bioresorbable materials redefine the medical device industry.
