A new device capable of providing energy to some medical implants was developed by scientists from the United States. A silicon-platinum-based chip that fits into a person's head will generate electricity from glucose.
It is known that everything new is well forgotten old: the idea of using glucose as a source of electrical energy is not new. Back in the 1970s, experts proved that you can “feed” pacemakers with glucose. However, this development was abandoned in favor of more powerful lithium-ion batteries.
Meanwhile, glucose is a source of energy for living beings. In the human body, the breakdown of carbohydrates leads to its formation.
The conversion of glucose into energy for cells takes place during glycolysis. In this case, the splitting of glucose and the formation of the nucleotide adenosine triphosphate (or ATP), a universal source of energy for all biochemical processes occurring in living systems, takes place.
To use this almost unlimited energy of the human body for the benefit of implants, scientists from the United States have created a silicon-based semiconductor electronic chip.
It did not use organic components: the chip consists of a platinum catalyst that removes electrons from the atoms that make up the glucose molecule, thus mimicking the activity of cellular enzymes that break down glucose to produce ATP.
The chip can deliver up to 180 microwatts. This, according to the developers, is enough to power ultra-low energy implants.
“Implants will soon become commonplace for people with spinal cord injuries. In such cases, we will need a device we invented to generate energy, says one of the authors of the study, Benjamin Rapoport, who works as part of the joint Harvard-MIT program for the development of health sciences and technology (Health Sciences and Technology Program). The chip will allow patients to move their arms and legs again.
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The probable place of chip implantation is the so-called subarachnoid space. This is the cavity between the meninges filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
CSF provides a suitable environment for implantable fuel cells. First, a minimal immune response from the body is expected. Secondly, it contains hundreds of times less protein than, for example, in the blood, therefore, it is less likely that the chip will become overgrown with tissue. Third, there is a sufficient level of glucose in the cerebrospinal fluid.
The safety of the implant has been verified by scientists in glucose consumption calculations and oxygen balance analysis. Thus, the estimated proportion of glucose used was from 2.8 to 28% of the periodically renewed amount, which should not cause side effects.
According to the researchers, the chip has not yet been tested on animals and humans, but this stage of development is in the immediate plans of scientists.
An article in PLoS ONE magazine tells more about the chip.