Electronics
College London, as well as a nanoelectronics expert at the National Physics Laboratory, focuses on the development of power units for IMEs. He believes that this is the area from which the next game- changing technologies will emerge.
”Many devices are still quite large, rigid and need large power units, and with long-term use a device may cause an immune response,” Zhao says. “Also, the body may damage the device through movement, so IMEs need to be stable and safe inside the body. We want to power devices using higher energy sources, which normally means using more active materials or bigger batteries, but we want to reduce battery size.” Rechargeable implantable devices are very new, but they can recharge through body movement, chemical reactions, or – if the device is very close to the skin and light could penetrate – through wireless power sources. Using the body itself is impressive and innovative, and there are many creative projects under way, including work on an enzyme-based fuel cell. The next step is to convince clinicians that they are stable in the body and not toxic. Rechargeable batteries would certainly go a
long way to addressing challenges around battery size. In practice, however, the development of such components is hampered by high cost, stringent regulations, and the potential incidence of
post-procedural complications. IMEs have, in the past, seen a relatively high number of recalls. In 2021, to give one example, the FDA announced that pharma giant Abbott was recalling more than 60,000 pacemakers due to a risk of moisture causing electrical shorts.
Such setbacks, however, seem to do little to stem the tide of innovation, and the use of nanotechnology and microfabrication will no doubt deliver smaller, more efficient components. In the future, smart and adaptive systems will perhaps become more prevalent, incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse physiological data in real time, heralding a new era of personalisation. “Improvements in biocompatibility and longevity will be driven by the use of advanced materials, such as silicon carbide and graphene, and the development of self-healing materials that can repair minor damages autonomously,” believes Dietrich. For Zhao, minimally invasive power sources, energy storage devices, rechargeable batteries, human body energy harvesters, and wireless power transfer hold the key. On all fronts, it seems, potentially game-changing technologies lie just beyond the horizon. The challenge, therefore, is not to drive innovation in IMEs, but to match that innovation to the most important clinical needs. ●
CERAMIC IMPLANTABLE SOLUTIONS
Housings & Windows NEW! CerMet Feedthroughs Brazed Pin Feedthroughs
32m
The number of Americans (around 10% of the population) that will rely on an implanted medical device during their lifetimes.
American Medical Association $10.13bn
The size the global implantable cardiac rhythm management device market was estimated to be in 2023. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2024 to 2030.
Grand View Research
Contact :
medsales@sct-ceramics.com Medical Device Developments /
www.nsmedicaldevices.com 69
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