Cover
Volume 6, Issue 3 (2026) – 15 articles
Cover Picture: The integration of microchips into the human body has progressed from passive identification devices to intelligent, implantable systems capable of sensing, computation, stimulation, and therapeutic delivery. Advances in microelectronics, wireless power transfer, biomaterials, and artificial intelligence (AI) have enabled the development of brain-computer interfaces, implantable drug-delivery platforms, and continuous biosensing systems. Increasingly, these technologies are reshaping cardiovascular and thoracic care. In cardiothoracic surgery, microchip-enabled systems are increasingly integrated into cardiac rhythm management, hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical circulatory support, structural heart interventions, and transplant surveillance. Implantable cardiac monitors, leadless pacemakers, pressure micro-sensors, AI-driven arrhythmia detection systems, and bioelectronic interfaces for autonomic modulation illustrate the convergence of microelectronics and cardiovascular therapeutics. In thoracic oncology and lung transplantation, implantable biosensors and microfluidic platforms offer emerging potential for early detection of rejection, infection, and tumor recurrence. This review examines the technological foundations of human-integrated microchips and explores their multidisciplinary applications, with particular emphasis on cardiothoracic surgery. Engineering challenges, biocompatibility constraints, cybersecurity concerns, and ethical implications are analyzed. As AI transforms these devices from passive hardware into adaptive, closed-loop therapeutic systems, the future of cardiothoracic surgery may increasingly depend on intelligent implants capable of real-time physiologic interpretation and precision intervention.
