144. Implantable Chip To Cure Diabetes

The Next Byte Podcast · 17 Oct 2023 · 20m

What this episode covers

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss an MIT team's development of a tiny, implantable device designed to cure type one diabetes by replacing damaged islet cells with living human cells that produce insulin. The device utilizes a proton exchange membrane to extract oxygen from body water vapor, powered by wireless charging via resonant inductive coupling, effectively creating a self-sustaining artificial organ. The hosts analyze the engineering challenges, such as immune rejection and oxygen supply, and speculate on future miniaturization and hybrid power sources using glucose metabolism.

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