In order to balance the heart-beat of an imbalanced heart patient, we use Pacemaker. An artificial pacemaker (heart has also a pacemaker which is by-born and natural) is used to maintain an adequate heart beating rate through electrical impulses if the heart is not beating rhythmically or there’s a block in the heart’s electrical conduction system. But as the pacemaker is artificial, so it can’t run without batteries. Batteries of the future pacemaker can be recharged itself by converting the vibrations from the heartbeats to electrical energy.
It is the vibrations that accelerate the beating of the heart. Engineers from the University of Michigan have come up with a prototype which is powered by vibrations in the chest cavity. In fact, it is being said that, while the pacemaker will help to pump the heart and accelerate the heart beat, besides pumping and accelerating, it’ll recharge itself. But, the explanation of its charging method is still unclear to us.
The prototype is engaged with piezoelectric material which can generate electricity while undergoing mechanical stresses. Sometime, the natural occurrence of vibrations in the chest create this mechanical stresses. While, the energy harvested from the chest requires always more than by a factor of eight approximately compared to power a pacemaker, the pacemaker requires just 1 millionth of a watt to run. Moreover, the pacemaker operates at heart rates ranging from 7 to 700 beats/minute very easily.
The prototypes invented by the Engineers till now are not bio-compatible. But they are trying to excel the technology hard and soul. As lots of contradictions are there between pacemaker and surgery method, we hope one day the engineers and scientists also will become successful. The American Institute of Physics journal have published a letter related to the team’s progression.
Source : Gizmag
Image Credit : Lucien Monfils
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