Most people are familiar with the function of pacemakers: small bioelectronic devices that are implanted near the heart and help a person maintain a proper heart rate. However, not many people understand the intricacies of the technology behind these devices or realize the amount of spatiotemporal precision required for these devices to even work. But for John S. Ho, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore, this is his area of expertise.

In today’s episode, he explains how different bioelectronic devices can be used to study and treat diseases, how the implementation of wireless technology in these devices can overcome the challenges presented by battery-operated devices, and how to control complex processes in the body using technology.

As one example, he discusses photodynamic therapy, which relies upon a device that’s designed to activate only when it absorbs a particular wavelength of light, and how this could end up eliminating the negative side effects of chemotherapy drugs.

Tune in to learn about all this and more, including what’s likely to come in the field of bioelectronic device development.

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