Power Implant Aims To Run On Body Heat

This new technology in development aims to run life saving implants on body heat alone. Due to the need for batteries, and the possibility of the batteries dying, a new power source is being developed that will either power the implant, or continiously charge the batteries. This power source takes the heat of the human body, and changes it into electricity.

The "biothermal battery" under development by Biophan Technologies of West Henrietta, will generate electricity using arrays of thousands of thermoelectric generators built into an implantable chip. These generators exploit the well-known thermocouple effect, in which a small voltage is generated when two of the junctions between two dissimilar materials are kept at different temperatures.

Thousands of these thermocouples are going to be needed in order to produce a sufficient voltage, and current.

Original Story

I am wondering how they will keep one side warmer than the other side to produce voltage, and if that failed, would the power to the device shut off??? Cool concept either way!

*edit for spelling*

[edit on 2-10-2004 by TreyFlipAWS]

Hmm I wonder where they would put the battery, and if having a fever or overheating from weather or exercise effects it at all. Too much juice. If you get cold, would you die?

Would rock for kidney dialysis implants, pacemakers, insulin pumps for diabetics, tracking devices, alien monitoring devices, shock therapy to control smoking and overeating, mind control devices....

Bwwhahahaha!

Edit: oh and I wonder if microwaves make them go wacky like they do implanted pacemakers now?

[edit on 2-10-2004 by RedBalloon]

This doesn't sound logical, or we'd be able to product minor electricity from the the summer heat too.

well this device only produces a voltage... so i doubt if microwaves will effect it at all. Essentially they are P-N junctions, and the final product will be a "wafer" of these. So one side has to be warmer than the other, by about 2 degrees C. There are spots in the body that have a temp difference of nearly 5 degrees C, just below the skins surface. So i would think that weather temp would effect it.

But the other thing to remember is that it trickle charges the original battery. This would make a pace maker only need a battery change every 30 years, instead of a mere 10 years.

So even if the device stops working, you still have the battery for a good amount of time... this device just does not charge battery, so i guess its a good idea?

Originally posted by godservant
This doesn't sound logical, or we'd be able to product minor electricity from the the summer heat too.

Heat can be transformed to many types of energy. Watch a pot of water boil to see it for yourself. Heat is the product of energy like friction, light, and the movement of molecules, and heat (or thermal) energy can be converted back to other forms of energy. Heat also often speeds up chemical reactions - like warm water activating yeast.

Heat from the body isn't going to create enough energy to power your house, but summer heat does create energy. Summer heat comes from light, and light is provided by the sun. That energy is used by plants, solar cells like you might see on roofs, and can convert water to vapor which powers hurricaines and so on.

Originally posted by TreyFlipAWS
This new technology in development aims to run life saving implants on body heat alone. Due to the need for batteries, and the possibility of the batteries dying, a new power source is being developed that will either power the implant, or continiously charge the batteries. This power source takes the heat of the human body, and changes it into electricity.

The "biothermal battery" under development by Biophan Technologies of West Henrietta, will generate electricity using arrays of thousands of thermoelectric generators built into an implantable chip. These generators exploit the well-known thermocouple effect, in which a small voltage is generated when two of the junctions between two dissimilar materials are kept at different temperatures.

Thousands of these thermocouples are going to be needed in order to produce a sufficient voltage, and current.

Original Story

I am wondering how they will keep one side warmer than the other side to produce voltage, and if that failed, would the power to the device shut off??? Cool concept either way!

*edit for spelling*

[edit on 2-10-2004 by TreyFlipAWS]

Isn't this what humans were used for in the movie "The Matrix"?

Originally posted by RedBalloon
Would rock for kidney dialysis implants, pacemakers, insulin pumps for diabetics, tracking devices, alien monitoring devices, shock therapy to control smoking and overeating, mind control devices....

Don't forget the chip - one day closer to the Mark of the Beast