Beyond Tissue replacement: The Emerging role of smart implants in healthcare

Smart implants are increasingly used to treat various diseases, track patient status, and restore tissue and organ function. These devices support internal organs, actively stimulate nerves, and monitor essential functions. With continuous monitoring or stimulation, patient observation quality and subsequent treatment can be improved. Additionally, using biodegradable and entirely excreted implant materials eliminates the need for surgical removal, providing a patient-friendly solution. In this review, we classify smart implants and discuss the latest prototypes, materials, and technologies employed in their creation. Our focus lies in exploring medical devices beyond replacing an organ or tissue and incorporating new functionality through sensors and electronic circuits. We also examine the advantages, opportunities, and challenges of creating implantable devices that preserve all critical functions. By presenting an in-depth overview of the current state-of-the-art smart implants, we shed light on persistent issues and limitations while discussing potential avenues for future advancements in materials used for these devices.

Automated summary

Smart implants play an increasingly important role in treating diseases, tracking patient conditions, and restoring functions. By actively stimulating nerves and monitoring essential functions, these devices improve patient observation quality and subsequent treatments. This review explores smart implant classification, the latest prototypes, materials, and technologies, with a focus on incorporating new functionality through sensors and electronic circuits in medical devices. The advantages, opportunities, and challenges of creating implantable devices that preserve critical functions are also discussed.