Project description
Self-powered implantable medical devices
Novel implantable medical devices (IMDs) allow the monitoring or detection of diseases inside the human body, yet the challenge is that these devices need to be supplied with continuous power. The implantable batteries suffer from limited lifetime and maintenance problems, and they require periodic replacement through surgery. Scavenging energy from biomechanical sources using piezoelectric devices presents a smart strategy since they can harvest electric supply from the inexhaustible motions of organs such as the heart, lungs and diaphragm. The focus of the EU-funded BIOIMD project is to develop high-performance piezoelectric polymer-based biodegradable IMDs which can be accommodated by the body and finally resorbed without any toxicity.
Objective
The interaction between medicine and technology allows the development of new implantable medical devices (IMDs) to detect or monitor diseases inside the human body. The key challenge is to supply continuous power to the IMDs. Conventional strategy to use the implantable battery suffers from limited lifetime, maintenance problem, hazardous chemicals and requirement of periodic replacement through surgery which eventually increase patient health risk. In this context, scavenging electricity from biomechanical energy sources using piezoelectric energy harvester is a smart strategy for realizing self-powered implantable bioelectronics, since it can harvest electric energy from inexhaustible slight motions of organs such as heart, lungs, and diaphragm. In this regard, the devices should be flexible and at the same time biodegradable to avoid invasive removal surgery that can damage directly interfaced tissues. Despite recent achievements in self-powered electronic devices, there is still a tremendous need to develop an efficient self-powered IMD which only relies on safe medical materials. In this context, the focus of the project is to develop high performance natural piezo-electric polymer based biodegradable IMD which can be absorbed by the body after certain period of time without any adhere toxicity. In addition, we will emphasize on material science, underlying concepts in mechanics and associated engineering strategies in device construction. The key design strategies for the piezoelectric device based self-powered IMD will adopt interdisciplinary approach from materials science (nanopillar configurations), chemistry (organic bio-polymers processing), applied physics (modeling, theoretical simulation), engineering (IMD circuit design) and biology (device implantation). This collective concept suggests a promising future across a range of fields, particularly in biomedical engineering, nanoneurotechnology and next-generation wireless implantable biomedical device.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringelectric energy
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnology
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicinesurgery
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpiezoelectrics
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
00185 Roma
Italy