Pacemaker Powered by the Heart Itself
May 8, 2012 | Terry Sharrer
Wouldn’t it be nice if a pacemaker’s battery didn’t have to be surgically replaced after ten years? Researchers at the University of Michigan may have an answer for that, in conceptualizing a thin strip of piezoelectric material (ceramic) that can convert mechanical stress (i.e. movement of the beating heart and surrounding tissue) into 10 microwatts of electrical voltage (exceeding a pacemaker’s demand). So far, this is only a concept, but a highly promising one at that. MORE