An implantable power supply with an optically rechargeable lithium battery

• Published in: IEEE transactions on biomedical engineering Vol. 48; no. 7; pp. 830 - 833
• Main Authors: Goto, K., Nakagawa, T., Nakamura, O., Kawata, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-07-2001; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Animals; Batteries; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical optical imaging; Electric Power Supplies; Electric power supplies to apparatus; Equipment Design; Humans; Implants; Infrared radiation; Infrared Rays; Lithium; Lithium batteries; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Optical arrays; Pacemaker, Artificial; Photodiodes; Photovoltaic cells; Power supplies; Power transmission; Prostheses and Implants; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Rats; Secondary batteries; Skin; Thermal characteristic; Performance evaluation; Human; Subcutaneous; Instrumentation therapy; Lithium; Near infrared radiation; Instrumental stimulation; Implanted material; Pacemaker; Battery; Photoelectrolytic cell; Medical application; Biomedical engineering; Refueling
• ISSN: 0018-9294; 1558-2531
• DOI: 10.1109/10.930908

A novel power supply for medical implants has been developed. A wireless near-infrared power transmission recharges a lithium secondary battery in the power supply. A photovoltaic cell array embedded under skin receives near-infrared light through the skin and charges the battery directly powering an implanted device. The authors have shown that, for a photodiode area of 2.1 cm/sup 2/, 17 min of near-infrared irradiation at a 810-mn wavelength with a power density of 22 mW/cm/sup 2/ can send enough energy to allow regular commercial cardiac pacemakers to run for 24 h. The temperature rise of the skin during the light irradiation was 1.4/spl deg/C.