Self-powering pacemaker could last a lifetime

For heart patients, the prospect of a lifetime-use heart pacemaker may soon become a reality. A Chinese research team has developed a self-powering pacemaker that generates electricity from the heart's own beats, potentially offering heart patients a device for lifetime use and addressing the challenge of battery depletion in medical engineering. The study was recently published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Implantable heart pacemakers are lifesaving devices for heart patients, emitting electrical pulses to re-establish normal heart rhythms. However, when a pacemaker's battery depletes after about 10 years, patients must undergo another surgery to replace it, which poses additional health risks and financial burdens.

"Inspired by the ubiquitous phenomenon of symbiosis in the natural world — such as the relationship between plants and root fungi — our team introduced the concept of 'symbiotic bioelectronics', aiming to achieve self-powering capabilities within the human body," said Ouyang Han, first author of the study and an associate professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences' School of Nanoscience and Engineering.

Building on this concept, the team spent seven years developing a pacemaker that converts the heart's kinetic energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction, with an average power generation capacity reaching up to 120 microwatts — far exceeding the 10 microwatts needed for its stable operation.

The energy cache structure features a unique magnetic levitation design, reducing energy loss and internal friction, minimizing device wear and tear, and ensuring continuous and stable power output. Laboratory experiments showed that after guiding 300 million heartbeats — equivalent to 10 years of operation — the device experienced only a 4 percent wear and tear, verifying the design's long-term service life and reliability.

Notably, the leadless, capsule-sized device is made from materials compatible with human tissues, reducing the likelihood of rejection or blood clotting. It can be implanted into the heart through the femoral vein using a minimally invasive catheter, greatly reducing surgical trauma.

A one-month test on a pig with severe bradycardia demonstrated the device's excellent performance. It operated solely powered by the pig's own heartbeats while successfully maintaining a normal heart rhythm throughout the period.

"The current heart pacemakers in clinical use mainly rely on imports, especially the leadless ones, with prices reaching up to 160,000 yuan ($23,000)," Ouyang said. "Our goal is to manufacture devices with a service life two to three times longer than that of existing ones, and at a price only one-third to half of theirs."

"We will further optimize the device and put it into clinical trials before 2030," he said, noting that it is not only a "revolutionary possibility" for heart disease treatment but also for other implantable electronic devices in fields such as bone repair and neural regulation.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn