Biodegradable electronic devices present opportunities in packaging and healthcare

Daniel Rodgers - 19 Nov 2009

Fully biodegradable RFID tags could be a reality for smart packaging applications, thanks to research at Stanford University.

RFID was touted for widespread integration in packaging as a means of tracking and managing stock more effectively than barcodes. However, the cost of producing the typically silicon-based chips - which would not break down with packaging - has been an obstacle. RFID companies such as Smartrac have therefore been keen to find biodegradable solutions.

However, the research team at Stanford has recently proven the degradation of plastic-based electronic chips over 70 days. The development could be key to making RFID tags feasible for high-volume packaging, says Chris Bettinger, first author of the research published in Advanced Materials and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford.

Hettinger explains: 'Originally people considered the possibility of putting RFID tags everywhere, but because these would probably all be silicon-based, putting them in every box and package on the shelves would create a lot of waste.

'These could be produced in large quantities cheaply and, as they would degrade in the environment as well, they have the potential to be green and disposable.'

Medical use

The research team used materials approved by the US Food & Drug Administration as a means of gaining approval for the healthcare market for degradable, electronic implants - the long-term aim of the research.

Bettinger explains: 'We could make implants that seem like tissue to stimulate cardiac or nerve regeneration across gaps, for instance.

'Simple devices - where long-term performance isn't required or functions aren't that complex, could be implanted during surgical processes.'

However, by using off-the-shelf, biodegradable materials suitable for implants, the research could be integrated earlier into packaging - and scaling up production for such high-volume applications would be easier as a result.

Bettinger adds: 'As there materials aren't that exotic we could simply adapt techniques for processing medical devices to produce these chips.'

Strategy

The research team, funded by the US National Institute of Health, will now work on compatibility for medical applications - for instance, reducing the voltage of the chips - and create encapsulation or improve the chip's stability.

And while medical uses could be delayed by the rigorous regulatory process for healthcare, shorter-term strategies for packaging could be managed by a spin-out.

Says Bettinger: 'We could have a start-up company that wouldn't go for the healthcare applications.

'We have a couple of patents and people are interested in the technology. We're starting dialogue with some big US-based companies and letting them know where they can go with this.'