Glucose Biofuel Cell Can Make A Heart Beat

Glucose, a compound that normally provides energy to living things was found to be capable of generating energy for electronic devices

. The success in this new technology could mean a lot to the makers of medical devices, such as pacemakers and artificial organs.

They call the technology as the glucose biofuel cell. The device can convert the available glucose and oxygen into usable electricity. The device was tested by using two rats. It was implanted in the abdomen of the rats, and was able to attain the power of 6.5 microwatts. Wasnt bad, knowing that the standard pacemaker requires 10 microwatts to keep the heart beating properly. The device could nearly reach the standard power and if refined and improved could reach beyond that level. There is no reason why the device could not work in human. Researchers are very optimistic about improvement of its efficiency.

So, how does this device really work? Electrodes of compressed graphite contain enzyme catalysts, which are then responsible for the oxidation of glucose and chemicals. The chemicals, called the redox mediators transport the electric charge to the electrodes until it reaches the device it is powering. The success of the experiment has inspired hundreds of ideas for applications. Technical and ethical questions are starting to emerge.

The founder would also like to test the device for larger animals and to make it stay inside the living body for a longer period of time. They aim to improve the design by adding biocompatible materials. The application of the technology would probably take some time and some series of tests, but that will always be worth waiting for. Its purpose will be very helpful in the medical field. It can be a substitute to batteries where periodic, invasive and expensive surgery is required for the continued functioning of the devices it supplies for.

This technology does not aim only to supply energy for pacemakers, but also for other implantable devices. Some of them are: insulin pumps, sensors, artificial urinary sphincter, bone growth stimulators and drug delivery devices. The device is not still in use. But it opens a lot of possibilities and ideas.

by: May Smith

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