传统的胶囊内窥镜等可吞咽医疗传感器通常依赖密封电池，但若外壳破损或滞留体内，其中的有毒化学物质将带来严重安全隐患。麻省理工学院（MIT）乔瓦尼·特拉韦索（Giovanni Traverso）领导的研究团队于9月21日在《自然·化学工程》（Nature Chemical Engineering）上发表突破性成果，研发出一种基于纸质的可完全生物降解吸收的微型电池。在猪体内实验中，该电池产生的电压略高于标准的1.5伏AA电池，其供电能力足以驱动多种可吞咽设备持续工作长达三天。
该电池由镁片、凝胶与化学活性纸层叠而成，外层包裹保护性蜡涂层以抵御严苛的胃酸环境，通过镁的氧化反应释放电子产生电流。其体积极其紧凑，仅占用标准明胶胶囊内部约四分之一的空间，为其余传感器元件或药物有效载荷留出充足余量。在活体猪测试中，该电池成功为射频识别（RFID）追踪标签供电；在更高负荷的电刺激胃排空实验中，电池持续激发肠胃达20分钟；在植入约三天后，胃液渗透蜡层，电池组件开始腐蚀并完全溶解吸收。
南加州大学专家亚瑟·汗（Yasser Khan）指出，该技术迈出了关键一步，但在人体临床应用前仍需严格验证降解产物的代谢归宿、体内吸收程度以及长期重复吞咽是否会刺激或损伤肠胃道。除纸基降解路线外，科研人员还在探索直接利用食品原料制备电池，例如米兰的意大利理工学院利用维生素B2（核黄素）、刺山柑提取物和海苔紫菜成功研制出全食用电池，尽管其输出功率尚无法驱动复杂设备，但展现了从传统锂电走向安全生物相容能源的广阔前景。
Ingestible medical sensors such as miniature capsule cameras typically depend on sealed toxic batteries that risk catastrophic toxicity if casings rupture or become retained in the digestive tract. To eliminate this hazard, a research team led by Giovanni Traverso at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a safe, fully bioabsorbable paper-based battery, publishing their findings in Nature Chemical Engineering on September 21st. Evaluated in porcine models, the biodegradable power cell generated slightly more voltage than a standard 1.5-volt AA battery, delivering sufficient electrochemical power to operate multiple diagnostic devices for up to three days.
The battery architecture consists of a magnesium anode, electrolytic gel, and chemically active paper encased in a protective wax coating that resists gastric degradation, producing an electrical current as magnesium atoms oxidise and release electrons. Remarkably compact, the assembly occupies only about a quarter of the interior volume of a standard gelatine capsule, leaving substantial space for microelectronics, wireless transmitters, or pharmacological payloads. In animal trials, the battery successfully powered an RFID tracking tag, sustained an intensive 20-minute gastrointestinal electrostimulation protocol designed to promote gastric emptying, and reliably dissolved after three days as gastric fluids permeated the wax seal.
Despite these promising preclinical benchmarks, translation to human clinical use demands rigorous validation. Biomedical experts emphasise the imperative to map precise chemical degradation pathways, measure systemic absorption rates, and rule out gut mucosal irritation, particularly following repeated administrations. Simultaneously, complementary research groups are exploring fully edible nutrient-derived power sources; scientists at the Italian Institute of Technology in Milan have synthesized digestible batteries utilizing riboflavin (vitamin B2), caper extracts, and nori seaweed, marking a definitive paradigm shift away from hazardous lithium-based chemistries toward biocompatible medical electronics.
Source: A new battery could make edible electronics safer
Subtitle: Its components dissolve once it has done its job
Dateline: Sep 24th 2026\n