Researchers developed a swallowable paper battery to power internal medical devices.

What it means

Researchers have developed a swallowable battery made from paper that can power medical devices inside the body and then safely dissolve. In tests on pigs, the battery powered devices for up to three days before biodegrading, offering a potential alternative to invasive surgical implantation of power sources for ingestible electronics.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim is based on a new study reported by Live Science and Nature, with Nature's article being a news piece from the journal itself, indicating close proximity to the primary research. The provenance is aggregated/secondary, but the reporting is well-sourced and consistent across multiple outlets, lending solid credibility to the development.

How new

Genuinely new: the study and associated news coverage were published around September 21, 2026.

Past coverage

We covered this development on September 22, 2026, in a story titled 'Edible batteries made from rice paper could power ingestible medical devices'.

Go deeper

• Nature (current) — first to publish