A biodegradable, flexible photonic patch for in vivo phototherapy

Diagnostic and therapeutic illumination on internal organs and tissues often lacks controllability over spectrum, area, depth, and intensity. The authors present a flexible, biodegradable photonic device (iCarP) comprising a removable tapered optical fiber (TOF) embedded parallel to tissue within a transparent polyester (PMCL) patch, separated by a micrometer-scale air gap. Diffraction at the TOF tip, dual refractions at the TOF/air and air/PMCL interfaces, and reflection within the patch transform forward-directed light into a bulb-like, laterally guided illumination. iCarP achieves large-area, high-intensity, wide-spectrum, continuous or pulsatile, deeply penetrating illumination without puncturing target tissue and supports multiple phototherapies. The device is compatible with thoracoscopic minimally invasive implantation on beating hearts, indicating a safe, precise, and broadly applicable platform for internal tissue illumination, diagnosis, and therapy.

Kaicheng Deng, Yao Tang, Yan Xiao, Danni Zhong, Hua Zhang, Wen Fang, Liyin Shen, Zhaochuang Wang, Jiazhen Pan, Yuwen Lu, Changming Chen, Yun Gao, Qiao Jin, Lenan Zhuang, Hao Wan, Liujing Zhuang, Ping Wang, Junfeng Zhai, Tanchen Ren, Qiaoling Hu, Meidong Lang, Yue Zhang, Huanan Wang, Min Zhou, Changyou Gao, Lei Zhang, Yang Zhu