Scientists at the University of Illinois have created a sensor they hope one day can be implanted in the brains of patients to monitor and wirelessly transmit data on pressure and temperature within the skull for a time, and then simply resorb into the body. The new approach could make early physiotherapy easier, reduce the incidence of infection and other complications associated with external sensors.
So far, the new technology has only been tested on rats but the dissolvable sensors have been just as accurate as conventional devices with external wiring. Researchers are "moving toward" human trials and looking at other possible areas of the body that would be well-suited for this type of monitoring system.