Pacemaker Powered by Heartbeat

Researchers have developed a device that can extract enough energy from a beating heart which can run a pacemaker. This new method has dawned new possibilities that could eliminate the need for batteries that are usually used in pacemakers.

[Read: How do Pacemakers Work]

The tests showed that this method of deriving energy from the heart beat produces about ten times the amount of energy needed. However, currently the British Heart Foundation said that it needs to go through tests so as to be sure that it is safe to be used on patients. When the piezoelectric materials change their shape electric charge is generated. They are already in use in some microphones that converts vibrations into an electrical signal.

Piezoelectricity might also have the ability to power other implantable cardiac devices like defibrillator. In the current scenario, pacemakers must be replaced every five to seven years when their batteries run out, which is a costly and inconvenient thing for medical practitioners and patients alike.

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