Implantable batteries can run on the body’s own oxygen
www.eurekalert.org

From pacemakers to neurostimulators, implantable medical devices rely on batteries to keep the heart on beat and dampen pain. But batteries eventually run low and require invasive surgeries to replace. To address these challenges, researchers in China devised an implantable battery that runs on oxygen in the body. The study, published March 27 in the journal Chem, shows in rats that the proof-of-concept design can deliver stable power and is compatible with the biological system.

    • slazer2au
      English
      7•3 months ago

      I like your thinking but I doubt it will work in its current state.

      The researchers then implanted the battery under the skin on the backs of rats and measured its electricity output. Two weeks later, they found that the battery can produce stable voltages between 1.3 V and 1.4 V, with a maximum power density of 2.6 µW/cm2. Although the output is insufficient to power medical devices, the design shows that harnessing oxygen in the body for energy is possible.

        • rustydominoEnglish
          2•3 months ago

          2.6 microwatts per cm^2 of what? Surface area of anode/cathode in the battery? Summary does not say.