101. Potential of subdermal solar energy harvesting for medical device applications based on worldwide meteorological data
- Author
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Tholl, Maximilien V., Zurbuchen, Adrian, Tanner, Hildegard, and Haeberlin, Andreas
- Subjects
Paper ,energy harvesting ,Pacemaker, Artificial ,integumentary system ,food and beverages ,610 Medicine & health ,modeling ,Prostheses and Implants ,620 Engineering ,open source code ,medical implant ,Electric Power Supplies ,biological sciences ,Solar Energy ,Sunlight ,Humans ,Therapeutic ,subdermal solar cell - Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Active implants require batteries as power supply. Their lifetime is limited and may require a second surgical intervention for replacement. Intracorporal energy harvesting techniques generate power within the body and supply the implant. Solar cells below the skin can be used to harvest energy from light. AIM To investigate the potential of subdermal solar energy harvesting. APPROACH We evaluated global radiation data for defined time slots and calculated the output power of a subdermal solar module based on skin and solar cell characteristics. We assumed solar exposure profiles based on daily habits for an implanted solar cell. The output power was calculated for skin types VI and I/II. RESULTS We show that the yearly mean power in most locations on Earth is sufficient to power modern cardiac pacemakers if 10 min midday solar irradiation is assumed. All skin types are suitable for solar harvesting. Moreover, we provide a software tool to predict patient-specific output power. CONCLUSIONS Subdermal solar energy harvesting is a viable alternative to primary batteries. The comparison to a human case study showed a good agreement of the results. The developed code is available open source to enable researchers to investigate further applications of subdermal solar harvesting.
- Published
- 2021