A battery-free wireless intelligent aligner for spatially resolved, closed-loop theranostics of chronic oral diseases

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

Intelligent wearable theranostic systems are advancing personalized health care by enabling continuous monitoring and proactive therapy. However, managing chronic oral diseases such as caries and periodontitis is challenging due to the oral cavity’s complex, spatially heterogeneous microenvironments and limited space for powered intraoral electronics. To address this, we developed a wireless, battery-free, and wearable intelligent therapeutic aligner (WiB-ITA) that integrates a butterfly-inspired dual-sided flexible integrated theranostic electrode array (iTEA) to simultaneously monitor compartment-matched pH and nitrite and electrochemically gate on-demand antimicrobial release. The system is powered and commanded via a relay-assisted near-field communication (NFC)–Bluetooth low energy (BLE) dual-hop link, enabling stable battery-free operation across tooth positions and full-arch usability. Validated from in vitro to preliminary human studies, WiB-ITA establishes a scalable, compartment-matched intraoral closed-loop theranostic framework. This integrated theranostic platform represents a breakthrough in personalized oral health care and provides a paradigm for managing other chronic conditions. Closed-loop smart aligner enables spatially resolved sensing and on-demand therapy for oral diseases—no batteries or wires. teaser