Supplying Power for Implantable Biosensors

Introduction to Biosensors 16.441, 16.541Group Members:Sujith KanaJesse Vengren

Abstract

Powering implantable biosensors is difficult.

Do not what to limit the subjects movement or impede them in anyway.

Want the power supply to lastDo not to want to constantly

replacing themWant it to be minimally invasive Miniaturization is critical

BackgroundBiosensors thou are fad in the

current decade, they have been there since early 1970’s.

Powering up the biosensor was a challenge even in 1970’s

Earliest application was pace maker

Mercury-Zinc was powering the pacemaker

Nuclear fueled cells considered as an option!

Energy HarvestingGathering energy from

environment the device is inMany different energy

harvesting techniques: wind, solar, kinetic, thermal

Not every one is appropriate for implantable biosensors

Kinetic EnergyUsing the motion of the body to

generate power.Three types: Electromagnetic,

Electrostatic, and PiezoelectricElectromagneticUses the change in magnetic flux to

create powerGenerated by moving a coil through a

magnetic fieldSame Method used in watches

Kinetic Energy Continued…ElectrostaticUses variable capacitorsChanges in the distance between the

plates to change either current or voltage

PiezoelectricBy deforming piezoelectric material

you can generate a voltageEasy to create mechanical

deformation

Issues with Kinetic EnergyMoving parts wear outElectrostatic requires preexisting

ChargeFor Piezoelectric need to be able

to cause mechanical deformation

Thermal EnergyUses temperature difference to create

voltageSeebeck Effect: Voltage is generated

due to a difference in temperature between two junctions of dissimilar metals

Many thermocouples in series to create thermopile

Issues with Thermal EnergySmall change in temperatureA single thermocouple does not

generate much energySize becomes and issue.

Acoustic PowerApplication of

piezoelectric kinetic energy

Power by acoustic wavesWaves generated

outside the body transmit power to implanted device

Antenna similar to speaker cone receives acoustic wave and deforms piezoelectric material

Fuel Cell Sir William Grove found it in

1839 On chip power for

microelectronics Traditional Fuel cells vs

Biological Fuel Cells Powered by Sacccharomyces

Cerevisiae

Fuel Cell Continued…

Issues of Biological fuel cellsMicro watts of power generationPerformance over timeEnvironmental conditionsElectrochemical contact of the

micro-organismCost

RF PowerAmplifierInductive CouplingRectifierDC Regulator

Figure 1: Simplified RF Powering System (ref 1)

RF Power continued…

Issues of RF powerChanges in coupling coefficientConfined to labHeating of tissuesDependence on patient

compliancePossible RF interference

Work Cited◦ Victor Parsonnet, M.D. “Power Sources for Implantable Cardiac◦ Pacemakers*” Chest American College of Chest Physicians 1972◦ Nattapon Chaimanonart, Keith R. Olszens, Mark D. Zimmerman, Wen H. Ko, and Darrin J. Young, “ Implantable RF Power

Converter for Small Animal In Vivo Biological Monitoring” Proceedings of the 2005 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 27th Annual Conference Shanghai, China, September 1-4, 2005

◦ Chaimanonart, W. H. Ko, D. J. Young, “Remote RF Powering System for MEMS Strain Sensors,” Technical Digest of The Third IEEE International Conference on Sensors, pp. 1522 –1525, October 2004

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TR-3840 Army Research Lab◦ Jonathan Lueke and Walied A. Moussa, “MEMS-Based Power Generation Techniques for Implantable Biosensing

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