在动物实验中，该吞服电池成功驱动了位于食道的无线标签，与1.5公尺外的接收器进行通讯，同时也为刺激胃部运作达20分钟的胶囊供电，证实对改善胃排空迟缓具有潜在医疗价值。虽然电池本身具生物可吸收性，但目前使用的电路板仍需透过自然排泄排出，研究团队正致力于将更多电路转为可吸收材质，并扩大安全性试验以因应复杂的胃酸环境。
胃炎等胃部疾病在全球十分常见，但胃酸波动及胃内容物移动常导致药物治疗难以精准控制。未参与此研究的学者指出，这套系统为药物输送的监控提供了高度可行的解决方案，特别是无线传输有助于即时确认药物已抵达胃部，相较于需要侵入性手术植入与取出的传统装置，可吞服且可分解的电子元件代表著医疗科技上的重大突破。
Scientists have developed an ingestible, paper-based battery capable of safely breaking down inside the body, which successfully powered medical devices inside pigs for up to three days. Fabricated using biocompatible magnesium–molybdenum trioxide and encapsulated in beeswax, this innovation marks a pivotal transition toward integrated biomedical systems. With clinical trials planned within two years, potential human applications include targeted drug delivery, appetite regulation, and therapies for impaired gastric function.
During the experiments, the swallowed battery successfully powered a wireless tag in the pigs' oesophagi that transmitted data to a receiver 1.5 metres away, while also providing energy to electrically stimulate the stomach for 20 minutes to aid slow gastric emptying. Although the battery is bioresorbable, the accompanying circuit board was excreted naturally; researchers are now exploring fully resorbable circuitry alongside broader safety and manufacturing evaluations across various gastric environments.
Gastric conditions like gastritis remain prevalent worldwide, yet treating them accurately is often hindered by stomach acidity variations and rapid motility. Independent experts highlighted that this technology offers a practical, viable method for monitoring and verifying drug delivery to the stomach in real time, serving as a non-invasive, transient electronic alternative that circumvents the surgical procedures traditionally required for device implantation and retrieval.