Skip to main content
Fig. 1 | Bioelectronic Medicine

Fig. 1

From: Cut wires: The Electrophysiology of Regenerated Tissue

Fig. 1

The Evolution of Bioelectronics. When it comes to the development of bioelectronic devices, the evolution of these devices’ use in medicine can be described with a scale based on Kardashev’s scale. A “Type 0″ bionic species has no ability to treat neuromuscular damage with electronics. “Type 1″ species are like modern humans. We can form stable mechanical interfaces with devices that partially replace the function of some nervous tissues. Passive bioelectronic devices like wearables, pacemakers, or cochlear implants have been adopted into mainstream medicine. Engineers are working to bring us closer to a “Type 2″ species, in which bioelectronic devices that would previously have been considered “active,” requiring conscious input from the user to function, can become fully integrated into the human nervous system for intuitive control. “Type 3″ species will have an even more harmonious integration of biology and technology, something that is likely beyond our predictive capabilities

Back to article page