MedicalImplant
Latest
MIT engineers develop glucose-based fuel cell to be used in neural implants
We've seen fuel cells used in a variety of gadgets -- from cars to portable chargers -- and while medical devices aren't exactly at the top of the list, they're yet another application for these mini power sources. MIT engineers are turning to sugar to make fuel cells for powering brain implants. The scientists developed cells that use platinum to strip electrons from glucose molecules found in a patient's cerebrospinal fluid to create a small electric current. The fuel cells are fabricated on a silicon chip so they can interface with other circuits in a brain implant. The prototype can generate up to hundreds of micro watts, which is enough to power neural implants used to help paralyzed patients move their limbs. Mind you, this technology is years away from making it to market. The next step will be proving that the devices work in animals, which reminds us of one Ricky the rat, who survived a biofuel cell implant back in 2010.
Purdue University creates 'bass' powered medical implant, knows where it hertz
We've seen all kinds of medical implants over the years, but none that had a musical preference -- until now. Researchers at Purdue University have created a pressure sensitive microelectromechanical system (MEMS) that uses sound waves as an energy source. The proof-of-concept has a vibrating cantilever that's receptive to sound -- or music -- in the 200 - 500Hz frequency spectrum, which is towards the bottom end of the audible range. The subcutaneous implant converts the low-frequency vibrations into energy, and then stores it in a capacitor. Once the cantilever stops vibrating, it sends an electrical charge to a sensor and takes a pressure reading, the result is then transmitted out via radio waves for monitoring purposes. The immediate real world applications include diagnosing and treating incontinence, but we're already wondering if that self-powering mp3 player implant could finally become a reality?
Researchers shield implants from hackers with wireless charm of protection
Everything can be hacked -- that's an important detail to keep in mind as we start cramming wireless radios into our bodies attached to medical implants. Researchers have been working on ways to protect devices like pacemakers from ne'er-do-wells looking to cause, not just e-harm, but physical injury or even death. A new system developed jointly by MIT and UMass is much more sophisticated that earlier solutions, can be used with existing implants, and is worn outside the body allowing it to be removed in the event of an emergency. The shield, as it's called, acts as a sort of medical firewall, protecting implants from unauthorized access -- doctors send encrypted instructions to it which are decoded and relayed to device, while it blocks any signals not using the secret key. All that's left to do is figure out what sort of person would mess with someone's defibrillator.
BIOTRONIK gets go-ahead for GSM-based implant monitoring system
The folks at BIOTRONIK have been trying to make medical implants behave a little more like cellphones for some time now, and it looks like they're still keeping at it, with the EU recently green-lighting its latest home monitoring system that lets physicians keep tab on patients at home. As with its other systems, this one relies on the GSM network to send vital information to the patient's physician (with a base station acting as a go-between), but it now boasts an "intelligent traffic light system" that promises to let physicians quickly monitor the status of a number of different patients, and even customize the alerts via the web if they like. The system also promises to work with a whole range of different implants, including pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices, and the company expects it to be widely available in early 2009, though a lucky few will be able to start using it this month.[Via MedGadget]
