Researchers at Penn State are designing a new wireless rechargeable battery for biomedical electronics, such as cardiac pacemakers, that will allow them to be charged and managed without the need for invasive surgery.
“We want to optimize the battery and the materials design and couple that with wireless charging,” said Feifei Shi, assistant professor of energy. “Currently, we are limited to cable charging, and wireless charging is definitely the future.”
Biomedical devices recreate physiological functions in the human body that relieve chronic pain and vastly improve quality of life, and the past few decades have seen tremendous growth in electronics and wireless technology that champion this cause. However, a remaining challenge for medical devices is the power supply. The bulk of most implantable electronic devices is driven by primary batteries that have a limited lifespan and must be charged using cables. With human longevity at an all-time high, scientists need a longer-lasting, more reliable alternative to the lithium iodine batteries currently being used.
To help solve this problem, Shi has received a $150,000 grant from Johnson & Johnson for a three-year project to develop a rechargeable battery with the ability to be charged wirelessly. The result will be a first-of-its-kind remotely chargeable, high-capacity battery within the human body. This new, rechargeable battery system has the potential to eliminate the risk of infection and other complications associated with surgery and provide a more stable and durable power supply to allow more health diagnostic sensors to be integrated into implemented medical devices.