THE NEWEST, SUSTAINABLE BATTERY REPLACEMENT FOR MEDICAL IMPLANTS

How researchers are using beating hearts to power pacemakers

Researchers at the University of Illinois have come up with a sustainable replacement for batteries to power medical implants: the organs themselves. The team has found a way to harness the energy created by the natural motion of the heart, lungs and the diaphragm to provide power to implanted medical devices. In essence, the implant captures the motion of a heartbeat and converts it into electricity. That current is in turn used to power an implanted medical device such as a pacemaker, rather than a traditional battery.

This self-sustaining process is made possible by a material called lead zirconate titanate, a piezoelectric material that generates electricity when flexed or compressed.

Researchers applied the material to a silicone base adapted for moving organs along with a rechargeable battery and tested the implant in cows, sheep and pigs. The results? Enough energy was generated to power an “off-the-shelf pacemaker.”

Hopefully, as the technology evolves this organ-powered battery substitute could help patients with pacemakers, heart monitors or cochlear implants avoid risky surgery when batteries need changing.