Project description
A new way to power implantable cardiac care solutions
Every year in the EU, cardiovascular diseases claim more than 1.8 million lives. Implantable electronic devices (IEDs) such as pacemakers and defibrillators are critical in managing these conditions, yet their reliance on traditional batteries limits their lifespan and efficiency. The current technology faces challenges of sustainability and cost-effectiveness, hindering widespread accessibility and patient care. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NEW-TECH project will develop an advanced energy harvest (EH) device based on porous piezoelectric polymers. Led by experts in computational mechanics and polymer physics, the project aims to harness porous piezoelectric polymers like P(VDF-TrFE) and innovative EH designs to create durable, sustainable, and cost-effective power sources.
Objective
The European Union (EU) is a world leader in implantable electronic devices (IEDs), such as cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators. Every year, more than 6 million new cases and more than 1.8 million deaths related to cardiovascular diseases in the EU, generating to the EU economy a cost of more than €210 billion a year. NEW-TECH is devoted to creating a new energy harvest (EH) device based on porous piezoelectric polymeric Polyvinylidene fluoride film P(VDF-TrFE) filled with a layer of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to use as a battery for IEDs. The current project will overcome the stagnation in the technology of batteries for IEDs and create a new EH device with high longevity, sustainability, and cheaper. The main research objectives of NEW-TECH are firstly developing an efficient finite element model capable of predicting the output power of the new multilayer EH device. Afterward, a new EH device composed of a multilayer structure of porous piezoelectric polymeric film P(VDF-TrFE) filled with a layer of PDMS organized in a mixed connection (in parallel or in series) will be fabricated. The validation of the numerical results will be done through an experimental setup consisting of a hexapod robot capable of mimicking the physiological human heart motions and providing mechanical deformation to the developed EH device. Finally, fatigue and chemical stability verification of the EH device will be done through different mechanical and chemical tests. NEW-TECH will bring together a Fellow who is an expert in computational mechanics and polymer physics and a host institution carrying leading academic know-how in energy harvesting technology to develop the next generation of EH devices for prolonging the battery life of IEDs. The placement at SSSA and BCM will give the fellow real-world expertise in robotics and manufacturing of EH devices, respectively. NEW-TECH will enable cheaper and more longevity EH devices for consumers and render Europe a pole of IEDs.
Fields of science
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinecardiologycardiovascular diseases
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
50121 Florence
Italy