In Vivo Self‐Powered Wireless Transmission Using Biocompatible Flexible Energy Harvesters

Abstract

Additional surgeries for implantable biomedical devices are inevitable to replace discharged batteries, but repeated surgeries can be a risk to patients, causing bleeding, inflammation, and infection. Therefore, developing self-powered implantable devices is essential to reduce the patient's physical/psychological pain and financial burden. Although wireless communication plays a critical role in implantable biomedical devices that contain the function of data transmitting, it has never been integrated with in vivo piezoelectric self-powered system due to its high-level power consumption (microwatt-scale). Here, wireless communication, which is essential for a ubiquitous healthcare system, is successfully driven with in vivo energy harvesting enabled by high-performance single-crystalline (1 − x)Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 −(x)Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PMN-PZT). The PMN-PZT energy harvester generates an open-circuit voltage of 17.8 V and a short-circuit current of 1.74 µA from porcine heartbeats, which are greater by a factor of 4.45 and 17.5 than those of previously reported in vivo piezoelectric energy harvesting. The energy harvester exhibits excellent biocompatibility, which implies the possibility for applying the device to biomedical applications.

Modulation of surface physics and chemistry in triboelectric energy harvesting technologies

“…In this respect, an energy harvesting technology is newly emerging as one solution that can substitute or supplement the existing batteries [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Especially, a flexible type of mechanical energy harvester converting the kinetic energy into the electricity has attracted much attention because it can provide the sustainable energy in isolated, indoor environment and biomechanical conditions [11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Effects of Electrical and Electromechanical Parameters on Performance of Galloping-Based Wind Energy Harvester with Piezoelectric and Electromagnetic Transductions

“…In recent years, the field of energy harvesting has received significant research interest due to the quest to exploit renewable energy sources. The objective of energy harvesting is to convert ambient energy sources into usable electrical energy to operate small electronic devices, such as wireless sensors [1], health monitoring sensors [2], and medical implants [3]. A number of ambient energy sources have been recognized to be promising for energy harvesting, including sunlight, wind, ocean wave, thermal gradient, and mechanical vibration.…”

Piezoelectric Buckled Beam Array on a Pacemaker Lead for Energy Harvesting

“…Harvesting energy in the body has become increasingly attractive as a means to convert various in vivo energy sources into electrical power due to the sufficient powering ability . Reported implantable energy harvesters have utilized the available energy from the pulsation of ascending aorta, breathing, legs' motion, and beating heart …”

“…For instance, a single crystalline (1 − x ) Pb (Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3) O 3 − xPbTiO 3 (PMN‐PT) was implanted into the heart of a live rat to show functional electrical stimulation of the heart . Heartbeats of pigs were used to power wireless communication systems, of which the integration with energy harvesters would allow for further implementation into biomedical devices. In addition, a nonlinear energy harvesting device using the induced magnetic forces was designed to power pacemakers from the heartbeat .…”