No need to change batteries, self-powered pacemaker successfully tested on pigs
2019-05-21 10:12:07
British media said that scientists from the United States and other countries have successfully tested a battery-free device on pigs, proving that the kinetic energy of a pig's heartbeat is enough to keep it fully charged, because the size of a pig's heart is about the same as that of a human heart. This breakthrough may mean that there is no need for constant surgery to replace failed batteries.
According to the British Daily Telegraph, about 500,000 people in the UK use pacemakers, which are used to help control irregular heartbeats. About 39,000 people have pacemakers installed each year. But the battery of a pacemaker can only last for about five years, which means that patients will need to undergo several major operations during their lifetime. The current equipment is also bulky.
Dr. Zhonglin Wang of Georgia Institute of Technology said: "Self-powered implantable medical electronic devices that can harvest biomechanical energy from cardiac motion, respiratory motion and blood flow are part of the upcoming paradigm shift. (Pacemakers) take energy from the body to maintain operation. At the same time, the body receives electrical stimulation to regulate the physiological activity of the heart."
The research team said that the pacemaker works by attaching a thin sheet to the surface of the heart, which bends and generates electricity when the heart beats.
Tests showed that the energy obtained by the pacemaker was about 3.3 volts, higher than the 2.2 volts required for human pacemakers.
However, it may be several years before the symbiotic pacemaker can be safely implanted in patients.
Charities also welcomed the progress, but called for more evidence to prove that it works in humans, the report said.
