Mini solar panels, the next challenge in medical devices


Mini solar panels, the next challenge in medical devices



The first tests have gotten energy to keep a pacemaker running



  The skin can be a large solar panel that can power future medical electronic devices, according to the Annals of Biomedical Engineering. On January 3, this specialized publication showed a series of mini solar panels the size of a seal capable of transmitting electricity once implanted under the skin.

The six-month investigation, which involved tests on more than 32 volunteers, revealed that these small devices are capable of generating power to operate pacemakers and other similar devices that require bulky batteries.

  Participants who used the device for a week in the summer, fall and winter, while going about their daily routines. According to the data released by the researchers, the energy generated was an average of 5-10 microwatts higher than that required by a standard pacemaker.

In the new study, sunlight and artificial light energize the panels, with considerable power generated even indoors and during cloudy days. But it's still a proof of concept.

Although it is not much larger than a credit card, the device was still too bulky and unwieldy to be implanted in the neck, where the panels would absorb most of the light.

The next step is to design and test a device that includes smaller, flexible solar panels optimized for low light conditions, and with the right materials to safely coat the electronics that would pass under a person's skin.

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