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.
I’m down for technology making use of otherwise-unused energy is great. But that prompts the question – is the oxygen it’s pulling from unused energy? Could this negatively affect the oxygenation of blood?
Probably. But if it means that you can have a lifetime heart pacemaker without ever changing batteries or external charging ports, that may be convenient. I mean, the tradeoff here is probably for people that are worried about more severe things than being a bit slower when jogging.
That’s a fair point. I suppose it depends on how much oxygen it takes, exactly.
Exactly. It depends on the option.
And how well oxygenated the person is. If they’re chronically really anemic it might be a problem where it wouldn’t for a healthy person.
Doesn’t a pacemaker last like 10 years now? It would still need battery I guess even though it charges by blood oxygen. Imagine having carbon monoxide poisoning but what killed the patient was the pacemaker that died.
Yes, but a nuclear pacemaker can last a lifetime.
A bio-battery has that same advantage without containing a radioactive sample that needs to be removed when you die.
How long until it’s turned into a weapon
Or how long until this powers computers with advanced AI