Comments on: Tiny Turbine Inside Arteries Could Power Pacemakers—and Cause Blood Clots

By: Mariola

Mariola — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:59:01 +0000

Powermed zwalcza wirusa grypy

By: MUHAMMAD KHALID

MUHAMMAD KHALID — Wed, 25 May 2011 09:14:36 +0000

WE MUST NOT USE A TYPICAL GENERATOR IN HUMAN BODY WE CAN USE A MECHANISM WHICH CONVERT EXPANSION OF ARTERIES OR TO CONVERT HEAT OF HUMAN BODY IN TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY WITH THE HELP OF SENSORY DEVICES.

By: Dave in Calif

Dave in Calif — Tue, 24 May 2011 13:33:22 +0000

Harness the normal expansion of the chest during breathing.

David

By: geeta

geeta — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:05:20 +0000

Clearly, Jay Fox of #7, who has the same comment on seemingly all Discover article pages that he is on, needs to google up some entertainment sites instead, to get over his complex

By: geeta

geeta — Mon, 23 May 2011 09:14:14 +0000

Matt B in #17 has a good point (and a good catch as well – scientific terms, paistakingly thought of to clarify some point, can overlook a completely misleading meaning of the term sometimes).
However, depending on the heart-beat-dependent power supply to a device that is meant to regularize heart beat sounds a bit risky. How would putting in accessories to re-charge the batteries (either by direct leads or by some kind of induction process, given that the power requirement is very small) measure up? Not quite the same, but perhaps less risky and more reliable.

By: Matt B.

Matt B. — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:34:05 +0000

“The researchers tested three pre-made mini-turbines”
As opposed to … ?

Anyway, if it’s producing 80 times as much energy as needed, angle the blades so it doesn’t spin as fast, and there would be a lot less turbulence.

By: Mac McFarland

Mac McFarland — Fri, 20 May 2011 06:35:56 +0000

Since the heart contracts and expands quite a lot, wrapping a liquid-filled tube around it to cause these pulsations to be transferred to the contained fluid would certainly provide enough energy pickup to drive a small turbine or (better and more reliable) piezoelectric transducer to provide a few tens of microwatts. In fact, I suspect that such a tube wrapped around the aorta would suffice to power a pacemaker. This would be far less intrusive than anything involving the penetration of an artery, to say nothing of the disturbance to the blood stream itself.

By: Gridlock

Gridlock — Fri, 20 May 2011 03:44:16 +0000

So… the question on everyone’s mind…
WILL IT BLEND?

By: N T Nair

N T Nair — Fri, 20 May 2011 00:17:32 +0000

Unless the person is dead, there are umpteen body movements which can be harnessed to produce energy to power pacemekers, pumping devices etc. In the place of 800 microwatts possible from the turbine proposed, much more could be tapped from body movements, without side effects, the bane of medicines or medical devices.

By: AEHall

AEHall — Thu, 19 May 2011 07:47:01 +0000

I viewed the comments intending to add a suggestion, then saw Rich Langsford had already posted a very similar idea. I agree that an alternative body fluid system could power an internal vessel turbine, and also thought of urinary tract, as fluid having left kidney undergone the filtration process would not matter if it underwent unavoidable consistency alteration as much as blood which would be circulated in an altered state due to possible turbine injury. I do have other plausible suggestions, but in view of the fact I would prefer to hold the patents on any resultant product I suggest any persons interested contact my email, halann4@aol.com
(Incidently, am a graduate lawyer, with knowledge of human genetics, medicine, and psychobiology, who has previously worked in research.)

By: Brian Too

Brian Too — Wed, 18 May 2011 23:05:44 +0000

@11. azbearhuntr,

You know, I wondered about that too.

By: Stuartg

Stuartg — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:16:34 +0000

@9. Lars A.

The pacemaker gives a tiny electrical shock to the myocardium that initiates the contraction of the heart.

The energy required for contraction of the myocardium is derived from ATP and the normal biochemical processes of the body.

No need to consider breaking the laws of physics!

By: azbearhuntr

azbearhuntr — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:59:58 +0000

Brian Too…You wouldnt be able to put a cell filter in front of the device to only allow plasma to pass as it would quickly clog causing more problems than a random clot, in fact if you pile up blood cells in a filter you are actually making a clot.

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:33:03 +0000

Lars,
the pacemaker doesn’t pump the blood, the heart does. The pacemaker only tells the heart when to contract.

I just want to know where I plug in my iPhone.

By: Lars A.

Lars A. — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:48:16 +0000

Right. So a Pacemaker will pump blood that will power a turbine that will power the Pacemaker?
Quick, to the Perpetuum-mobile!
Why has nobody thought about this before, it’s pure genius!
:-)

By: Jay Fox

Jay Fox — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:36:17 +0000

Hey moderator: BAN BRAINETICS from this site!

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:39:56 +0000

We know waves can generate electricity. Could there not be, instead of an inside turbo machine, a pressure tube is implanted. Smooth insides filled with a fluid connected to an isolated turbo . The heart pressures the isolated implant fluid in waves and the waves drive the turbo for power outside of the circulatory system?

By: Deacon.James

Deacon.James — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:21:26 +0000

Human Energy Harvesting by Intravascular Turbine Generators

Sounds like we are talking about the Matrix movies :)

By: Rich Langsford

Rich Langsford — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:04:51 +0000

It might require slightly longer leads from the turbine to the device, but why not mount it in the urinary canal? If it can generate 800 microwatts at bloodstream flow rates, I’d think it would do even better at bladder pressures. Sure it’s not a 24/7 source (hopefully), but if one of these generates 80 times more power than a pacemaker needs, the extra energy could be stored in a battery or capacitor and then meted out as needed. I imagine a bank of these turbines could be implanted if more energy was required, and no problem with clotting.

By: Kin

Kin — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:44:06 +0000

Uhm, seems like we have less important places in our body that we can stick some random piezo element that gathers energy from some flexing motion. I admit, the micro turbines still sound epically cool.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Wed, 18 May 2011 13:12:30 +0000

I can see this being a very important new field emerging in the next few decades, the whole harnassing the energy of our bodies. Very interesting and exciting, sadly very dangerous (at least as of now) as well. On a side note, apparently the Discover forums have become a public forum for advertising products as well?

By: Brian Too

Brian Too — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:18:51 +0000

I’ve heard that many implantable mechanical devices are very rough on the cells floating in the blood. Lots of designs can’t get the necessary approvals for just this reason.

When I hear “turbine”, I think “turbine blades” and I mentally see all kinds of red & white blood cells, platelets and all the rest getting chopped up as they go through the device.

Perhaps if they put a filter on the intake for the device so only plasma was going through the turbine?