Wireless bioelectric stimulation for bone regeneration using magnetoelectric PVDF/BaTiO3 – Fe80Ga20 laminates

Fracture healing remains a significant clinical challenge, particularly in cases of delayed or impaired recovery, often hindered by inadequate vascularization, patient variability. Conventional stimulation methods relying on implanted electrodes or external coils are constrained by invasiveness, complexity, and patient discomfort. Smart biomaterials capable of providing wireless, localized bioelectric stimulation represent a promising alternative. Among these, magnetoelectric (ME) laminates can convert externally applied magnetic fields into localized therapeutic voltages, enabling non-invasive and patient-specific bone regeneration. Although magnetoelectric systems have shown potential in biomedical stimulation, their electromechanical coupling behavior, tunability, and optimization for orthopedic applications remain insufficiently explored. Understanding these mechanisms through computational modeling is crucial for developing clinically translatable ME-based bone regeneration systems. This study introduces a next-generation trilayer ME laminate integrating a new material pairing: magnetostrictive Galfenol (Fe 80 Ga 20 ) with a piezoelectric layer of either poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVDF) or Barium Titanate (BaTiO 3 ). A fully coupled 3D finite-element model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.0 to simulate magnetostrictive deformation, interfacial strain transfer, and piezoelectric voltage generation under physiologically relevant magnetic field strengths and frequencies. Parametric studies assessed tunability across varying excitation conditions, while comparative analyses evaluated the performance trade-offs between PVDF- and BaTiO 3 -based laminates. Simulations revealed that the proposed trilayer laminate could generate sustained voltage outputs within the osteogenesis-relevant range (100 nV–5 V) without implanted electrodes. Resonance-dependent voltage peaks were sensitive to excitation frequency and adaptable to bone geometry, supporting personalized stimulation protocols. PVDF-based laminates provided higher flexibility and biocompatibility, whereas BaTiO 3 -based laminates achieved superior voltage outputs, highlighting design trade-offs relevant for clinical optimization. This work establishes the engineering feasibility and fundamental electromechanical characteristics of magnetoelectric trilayer laminates for wireless bone stimulation. The deterministic modeling approach, incorporating parameter sweeps for laminate thickness, field amplitude, and excitation frequency, provides a first-level sensitivity framework for device design. Overall, the study bridges computational modeling and translational potential, positioning ME laminates as a next-generation platform for non-invasive, customizable, and patient-centered bone regeneration. These findings lay the groundwork for forthcoming in-vitro and in-vivo validations, advancing the integration of smart magnetoelectric materials in clinical orthopedic applications.