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.