Very cool and a little creepy: fuel cells powered by spinal fluid

[Mr. Laz]

FUEL CELLS • IMPLANTS • MEDICAL TECH
0
By Evan Ackerman
12:26PM on Jun 14, 2012

Implantable glucose fuel cell is powered by spinal juice


A series of glucose fuel cells on a silicon wafer; the largest is 64mm by 64mm.

Electronic medical implants have worked wonders for lots of people, and we're only just realizing what is potentially possible in the future. What we need, though, is a power source that doesn't involve opening people up and replacing batteries every few years, and these spinal fluid powered glucose fuel cells could make that happen.

The cells in our bodies are powered by glucose. When we eat stuff, our bodies suck glucose out of the food we're digesting and send it through our bloodstream to keep all of our cells up and running. MIT engineers have figured out that they can pilfer some of this glucose out of the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spine and strip it of electrons to power ultra-efficient electronic devices.

These latest glucose fuel cells are especially cool because they can be fabricated out of silicon, and since they don't rely on chemicals or enzymes that break down or wear out (just a platinum catalyst), they can continue providing power as long as you keep eating things. At peak output, the fuel cells can generate hundreds of microwatts of power (comparable to what it takes to run one of those little solar-powered calculators), which isn't a heck of a lot, but it's enough to run a brain or spinal implant that could potentially transmit neural signals to bypass damaged areas.

While the hardware is just proof of concept at the moment, researchers are envisioning self-powered medical implants becoming a standard medical tool in just "a few" years.

[ModSocks]

The age of Cyborgs is nearing closer and closer....

[tooge]

As is the age of speechless, beautiful, and fully functional cyborg women programmed to slave themselves out to me. Alas, I'll be dead before it happens.

[Canofbier]

I'm sure they'd figure this put before putting it into use in everyday life, but something seems dangerous about feeding off of the chemicals in spinal fluid. Not sure how important the glucose level of spinal fluid is, or if something this small would even make that much of a difference in the overall glucose concentration, but my spinal column is something I'm awfully protective of.

[Saulbadguy]

My CPU is a neural-net processer. A learning computer.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

My CPU is a neural-net processer. A learning computer.

I love you

[Discuss Thrower]

The Cylons were created by man... they evolved, they rebelled, and they have a PLAN

[Hammock Parties]

Combined with a form of fusion, the machines had found all the energy...they would ever need.

[mikey23545]

As someone with a pacemaker/defibrillator, I wouldn't mind not having to go through surgery when its batteries get low...

[beach tribe]

Resistance is futile