Growing energy demands are driving people to generate power in every possible way. New energy sources are needed to plug the energy gap. There is a growing interest in distributed energy generation due to its remarkable advantages such as flexibility, reliability, adaptability and minimal transmission losses. Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are one such distributed power source that relies on thermal energy for electricity generation. The current review focusses on the design and optimization of TEGs to maximize the power output from the available thermal sources. The basic principle of thermoelectricity generation and suitable architecture for specific applications are explained with an overview of materials and manufacturing processes. Various cooling techniques to dissipate heat from the cold side and their influence on overall efficiency are reviewed in this work. Applications of TEGs for powering biomedical sensors have been discussed in detail. Recent advancements in TEGs for various implantable devices and their power requirements are evaluated. The exploitation of TEGs to generate power for wearable sensors has been presented, along with published experimental data. It is envisioned that this study will provide profound knowledge on TEG design for specific applications, which will be helpful for future endeavours.
Purpose In the past decade, three-dimensional (3D) printing has gained attention in areas such as medicine, engineering, manufacturing art and most recently in education. In biomedical, the development of a wide range of biomaterials has catalysed the considerable role of 3D printing (3DP), where it functions as synthetic frameworks in the form of scaffolds, constructs or matrices. The purpose of this paper is to present the state-of-the-art literature coverage of 3DP applications in tissue engineering (such as customized scaffoldings and organs, and regenerative medicine). Design/methodology/approach This review focusses on various 3DP techniques and biomaterials for tissue engineering (TE) applications. The literature reviewed in the manuscript has been collected from various journal search engines including Google Scholar, Research Gate, Academia, PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. The keywords that have been selected for the searches were 3 D printing, tissue engineering, scaffoldings, organs, regenerative medicine, biomaterials, standards, applications and future directions. Further, the sub-classifications of the keyword, wherever possible, have been used as sectioned/sub-sectioned in the manuscript. Findings 3DP techniques have many applications in biomedical and TE (B-TE), as covered in the literature. Customized structures for B-TE applications are easy and cost-effective to manufacture through 3DP, whereas on many occasions, conventional technologies generally become incompatible. For this, this new class of manufacturing must be explored to further capabilities for many potential applications. Originality/value This review paper presents a comprehensive study of the various types of 3DP technologies in the light of their possible B-TE application as well as provides a future roadmap.
Using "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) materials for assembly, edible polyelectrolytes (EPL/PGA) are coated on sugar (maltotriose)–dextran particles and crosslinked (left). Cargo-loaded hollow capsules are created by dissolution of the sugar template (right).
Thermoelectrics, in particular solid-state conversion of heat to electricity and vice versa, is expected to be a key energy harvesting and temperature management solution in coming years. There has been a resurgence in the search for new materials for advanced thermoelectric energy conversion applications and to enhance the properties of existing materials. In this paper, we review recent efforts on improving figure-of-merit (ZT) through alloying and nano structuring. As heatsink characteristics dictate the performance of thermoelectric modules, various types of heatsink designs has been investigated. Several reported strategies for improving ZT are critically assessed. A notable increase in figure-of-merit of thermoelectric materials (TE) has opened up new areas of applications especially in the medical field. Peltier cooling devices are widely employed for patient core temperature control, skin cooling, medical device and laboratory equipment cooling. Application of these devices in the medical field both in temperature control and power generation has been studied in detail. It is envisioned that this study will provide profound knowledge on the thermoelectric based materials and its role in medical applications.
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