The translation of many tissue engineering/regenerative medicine (TE/RM) therapies that demonstrate promise in vitro are delayed or abandoned due to reduced and inconsistent efficacy when implemented in more complex and clinically relevant preclinical in vivo models. Determining mechanistic reasons for impaired treatment efficacy is challenging after a regenerative therapy is implanted due to technical limitations in longitudinally measuring the progression of key environmental cues in vivo. The ability to acquire real-time measurements of environmental parameters of interest including strain, pressure, pH, temperature, oxygen tension, and specific biomarkers within the regenerative niche in situ would significantly enhance the information available to tissue engineers to monitor and evaluate mechanisms of functional healing or lack thereof. Continued advancements in material and fabrication technologies utilized by microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs) and the unique physical characteristics of passive magnetoelastic sensor platforms have created an opportunity to implant small, flexible, low-power sensors into preclinical in vivo models, and quantitatively measure environmental cues throughout healing. In this perspective article, we discuss the need for longitudinal measurements in TE/RM research, technical progress in MEMS and magnetoelastic approaches to implantable sensors, the potential application of implantable sensors to benefit preclinical TE/RM research, and the future directions of collaborative efforts at the intersection of these two important fields.
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February 2017
Research-Article
Implantable Sensors for Regenerative Medicine
Brett S. Klosterhoff,
Brett S. Klosterhoff
George W. Woodruff School
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
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Melissa Tsang,
Melissa Tsang
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
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Didi She,
Didi She
Department of Electrical and
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Keat Ghee Ong,
Keat Ghee Ong
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Michigan Technological University,
Houghton, MI 49931
Michigan Technological University,
Houghton, MI 49931
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Mark G. Allen,
Mark G. Allen
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Department of Electrical and
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Nick J. Willett,
Nick J. Willett
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Department of Orthopaedics,
Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30303;
Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30303;
Atlanta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center,
Decatur, GA 30033;
Decatur, GA 30033;
Wallace H. Coulter Department
of Biomedical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
and Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30332
of Biomedical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
and Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30332
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Robert E. Guldberg
Robert E. Guldberg
George W. Woodruff School
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Search for other works by this author on:
Brett S. Klosterhoff
George W. Woodruff School
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Melissa Tsang
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Didi She
Department of Electrical and
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Keat Ghee Ong
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
Michigan Technological University,
Houghton, MI 49931
Michigan Technological University,
Houghton, MI 49931
Mark G. Allen
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Department of Electrical and
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Systems Engineering,
University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Nick J. Willett
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Department of Orthopaedics,
Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30303;
Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30303;
Atlanta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center,
Decatur, GA 30033;
Decatur, GA 30033;
Wallace H. Coulter Department
of Biomedical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
and Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30332
of Biomedical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology
and Emory University,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Robert E. Guldberg
George W. Woodruff School
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
of Mechanical Engineering,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332;
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Bioengineering and Bioscience,
Georgia Institute of Technology,
Atlanta, GA 30332
Manuscript received July 6, 2016; final manuscript received November 28, 2016; published online January 19, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Victor H. Barocas.
J Biomech Eng. Feb 2017, 139(2): 021009 (11 pages)
Published Online: January 19, 2017
Article history
Received:
July 6, 2016
Revised:
November 28, 2016
Citation
Klosterhoff, B. S., Tsang, M., She, D., Ong, K. G., Allen, M. G., Willett, N. J., and Guldberg, R. E. (January 19, 2017). "Implantable Sensors for Regenerative Medicine." ASME. J Biomech Eng. February 2017; 139(2): 021009. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4035436
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