5 Topic Commentaries

Heartbeat-powered pacemaker may pave way for self-sustaining devices

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  Xudong Wang, PhD

  Materials Science and Engineering

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  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  With our technology, we achieved a power output density an order of magnitude higher than previous nanogenerators.

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  Daniel Modaff, MD

  Cardiac Electrophysiology

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  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  I look forward to a world in which we can implant a single device that will last a patient’s lifetime, and this is a big step closer to realizing this dream.

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  Eric Schmuck, PhD

  Translational biomedical research (swine models)

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  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  From a translational standpoint, a reliable self-sustaining power source gives device developers greater freedom to design smaller implants with enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. As we continue to move toward smarter, more personalized cardiac care, technologies that harvest energy directly from the body could play a critical role in bringing these innovations from the laboratory to the patient.

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  Babak Nazer, MD

  Cardiac Electrophysiology

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  University of Washington

  Ultimately it will be up to the pacemaker manufacturers, the patients and all the providers how much energy-harvesting they want to see before helping us translate this idea into a clinically viable product.

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  Yonggang Huang, PhD

  Mechanical Engineering (stretchable/flexible electronics)

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  Northwestern University

  We envision this device being used to power a pacemaker with the energy coming right from the heart.

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