Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Research team develops battery-free electronic drug
From left are Yonsei University Department of Materials professor Kim Sang-woo, Samsung Medical Center professor Choi Byung-ok and Yonsei University Department of Materials professor Lee Kyu-hyoung. Courtesy of Yonsei University
By Nam Hyun-woo
A research team led by professors at Yonsei University’s Department of Materials Science Engineering and Samsung Medical Center has developed technologies for an electronic drug that does not require battery or electrodes, the university said Monday.
Yonsei University professors Kim Sang-woo, Lee Kyu-hyoung and hospital professor Choi Byung-ok published their research in the renowned journal Nature Biomedical Engineering on Friday.
The research team developed a technology that enables a wireless electronic drug to relieve pain using ultrasound, by generating triboelectric energy inside the body to selectively block pain signals without the use of pharmaceuticals.
Existing electronic drug technologies have faced structural limitations, including inflammation and side effects caused by wires or electrodes connected to nerves.
The new research presents a novel form of electronic medicine that eliminates metal electrodes, lead wires and batteries. During a surgical procedure, a biocompatible medical polymer that naturally degrades over time is implanted near the nerves. When pain occurs, an external ultrasound is applied, causing the polymer to generate its own triboelectric energy and block pain signals.
Through animal testing, the research team confirmed that pain signals were immediately reduced when the ultrasound was applied. When the ultrasound was turned off, nerve function quickly recovered. After pain control is completed, the medical polymer naturally degrades inside the body, eliminating the need for additional removal surgery.
“This is a breakthrough electronic drug technology, as it can generate an electric field inside the body using only ultrasound to block nerve signals,” Kim said. “It allows pain control without drugs and eliminates the need for removal surgery, giving it strong potential for clinical applications.”
Choi said the electronic drug precisely targets nerves inside the body using harmless ultrasound, adding “it is expected to be applied not only to acute and chronic pain but also to a wide range of neuromodulation therapies in the future.”