A biodegradable, flexible photonic patch for in vivo phototherapy

Illuminating internal organs and tissues with high controllability and adaptability in spectrum, area, depth, and intensity remains challenging. This paper introduces iCarP, a flexible, biodegradable photonic device with a micrometer-scale air gap between a refractive polyester patch and an embedded removable tapered optical fiber. iCarP uses light diffraction, dual refractions, and reflection to achieve bulb-like illumination, guiding light to target tissue. It enables large-area, high-intensity, wide-spectrum illumination (continuous or pulsatile) without tissue puncture, supporting phototherapies with various photosensitizers. iCarP's compatibility with minimally invasive implantation onto beating hearts is demonstrated, suggesting its potential as a safe, precise, and widely applicable device for internal organ and 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