COATINGS that dissolve when exposed to a voltage could be used to release drugs implanted in the body at specific times.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology alternately dipped a glass substrate in a positively charged anticoagulant drug and a solution of negatively charged nanoparticles to build up a series of alternating layers. Applying a voltage caused the exposed nanoparticle layer to dissolve, releasing the drug. When the voltage was switched off, the layers stopped dissolving (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ).
Such a device could be implanted in a patient鈥檚 body along with a battery. It could be controlled remotely or it might monitor the body and switch itself on and off accordingly.
Advertisement
