Biological fuel cell runs on blood
Researchers in (drumroll, please…) Japan have come up with a fuel cell that runs on blood and contains no toxic materials, making it potentially useful in artificial hearts and other organs. The cells use a non-toxic substance to draw electrons from glucose, a sugar in our blood. Whereas most fuel cells use a metal complex, the electron mediator in this system is based in Vitamin K3 which naturally exists in our bodies, making it an extremely safe choice as an implant-type fuel cell. The size of a small coin, the fuel cell can generate 0.2 milliwatts of electricity, which is enough to power a device measuring and transmitting data on blood sugar levels. Fantastic — won't be long before one of us neo-tribalists gets some sort of conduit implanted so we can recharge our cellphones on the fly.
[Via Futurismic]
