These cellulose nanogenerators could one day power implanted medical devices

Implanted electronics are on the rise due to their ability to  deliver drugs, monitor vital signs and perform other health-related roles. While they have been an asset to the medical field, finding efficient ways to power them has been challenging.

Researchers Md. Mehebub Alam and Dipankar Mandal from Jadavpur University in India set out to design a power source for implanted medical devices. What they came up with was a flexible nanogenerator made out of cellulose, an abundant natural material, that could potentially harvest energy from the body — its heartbeats, blood flow and other consistent movements.

In keeping with green energy efforts which look to convert energy from motions like footsteps or wind, the researchers wanted to create a versatile method for powering biomedical devices, such as a flexible generator.

They turned to cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, to create the gadget, and mixed it with a kind of silicone called polydimethylsiloxane , the same material as breast implants, and carbon nanotubes. In their tests, they found that repeated pressure on the nanogenerator lit up about two dozen LEDs instantly. It also charged capacitors that powered a portable LCD, a calculator and a wrist watch.

Since cellulose is non-toxic, the researchers say the device could potentially be implanted in the body and harvest its internal stretches, vibrations and other movements.

Story via American Chemical Society.