Chinese scientists develop self-powered device to speed up muscle repair

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese research team has created a tiny, fully biodegradable implant that uses the body's own movement to generate gentle electrical pulses, helping damaged muscle heal faster -- all without wires, batteries, or the need for follow-up surgery.

The device, detailed in the journal Cell Biomaterials, offers a promising new approach for treating severe muscle injuries, which remain difficult to restore fully.

The implant consists of two soft, biocompatible parts. The first is a thin, flexible film made from natural materials. When placed near a moving joint -- such as a knee or elbow -- it converts natural motion into a mild electrical signal. The second part is a supportive gel-like scaffold that is placed directly at the injury site. It receives the signal and delivers gentle electrical stimulation to the damaged tissue.

This gentle stimulation encourages muscle cells to grow and repair, while the scaffold provides a supportive structure for new tissue formation.

A key advantage is that the entire system is self-sufficient. It harvests energy from the patient's own movement, eliminating bulky external power sources or batteries. Moreover, both the film and the scaffold are made from safe, biodegradable materials that the body naturally absorbs over time, according to the study.

In tests on rats with muscle injuries, the device helped achieve full muscle recovery within two weeks. The implant itself safely dissolved inside the body within about a month.

"This work provides a new implantable strategy that combines self-powered stimulation with complete biodegradability," said Bai Shuo, a professor at the Institute of Process Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who led the study. "It avoids the need for external hardware or a second operation to remove the device."

The research points toward a future where temporary, intelligent implants can assist healing internally, offering a wireless, surgery-free path to recovery for patients with muscle damage, Bai added.