Advances in Implantable Devices for Personalized Biomedicine

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Background

The prevalence of biomedical devices being implanted annually is on the rise, driven by the aging global population and an escalating number of surgical procedures. The preference for personalized and intelligent implants is growing, as these have the potential to seamlessly integrate with biological tissues, offering enhanced comfort by continuously monitoring conditions and minimizing pain. Nevertheless, the intricate design and fabrication of these sophisticated implants present formidable challenges. The pursuit of this objective hinges largely on the innovation of multifunctional and personalized implants incorporating integrated smart materials, sensors, and actuators. Recent strides in smart materials, coatings, and electronic sensors showcase substantial promise in facilitating the development of advanced implantable devices that can interact with the human body discreetly and safely. This advancement holds the potential to revolutionize conventional implants within the realm of personalized biomedical engineering, promising breakthroughs in both disease diagnosis and therapeutic functionalities.

Significant strides have been achieved in two distinct domains of implant development. On one front, progress has been made in creating implants with antibacterial properties and robust osseointegration. Concurrently, electronic sensors of considerable sophistication have been engineered, demonstrating the capability to sense diverse physical properties. These sensors can be seamlessly integrated into traditional implants, enabling continuous monitoring of variables such as temperature, humidity, and fluid flow. However, bridging the gap to achieve intelligent implants that can interact intelligently with the surrounding biological tissues remains a formidable challenge. Several hurdles hinder the integration of both actuation and sensing modalities into implantable devices, including compromised long-term performance and the incompatibility of existing biological materials. These challenges become particularly pronounced when attempting to integrate multiple sensors and actuators into implants, further complicating the realization of reliable intelligent implants.

This Research Topic endeavors to showcase the latest advancements in the research of designing, manufacturing, and controlling smart sensors and actuators integrated into implantable devices. The curated articles will spotlight innovative intelligent devices that play a pivotal role in various critical engineering applications, including the monitoring of physiological conditions and closed-loop therapy. We invite research that cover a spectrum of novel implants seamlessly incorporating smart materials, sensors, and actuators. Contributions are sought in the areas of design and fabrication methods for medical implants, with a focus on significant breakthroughs in structure design, additive manufacturing, smart materials, control mechanisms, and proof-of-concept demonstrations for new applications.

We are particularly interested in recent developments involving medical implants that integrate both smart actuators and sensors, addressing critical and novel bioengineering applications. This collection welcomes, but is not limited to original research, reviews, mini reviews, short reports in the following research areas:

• Implants for hard and soft tissues
• Sensor-integrated implant
• Antibacterial coating for implants
• Patient-specific implants and surgical procedure (e.g., implants for diabetic patients, aging population, patients with genetic disorders, implants for revision surgery)
• Drug-releasing implants

Keywords: Functional Coating, Implantable Devices, Flexible Electronics, Orthopedic Hardware Design

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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