MIT has developed a new type of fuel cell for neuroimplants

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a silicon-based fuel cell that works on glucose. The element can have a size of several square millimeters, which allows it to be used to power neuroimplants and other microelectronic devices with very low power consumption.

New item has several important advantages. Firstly, standard photolithography, which is widely used for the manufacture of silicon microcircuits, is used for its production, and especially high resolutions are not required, the equipment more than a decade ago is quite suitable. The illustration below shows a photograph of a silicon substrate with elements of different sizes. The side of the largest square is 64 mm.



Secondly, although glucose fuel cells have been known since the 1970s, they used to use biological catalysts. In the new element platinum is used as a catalyst. Platinum is much more durable and has a high biocompatibility.
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Elements can be placed in the cerebrospinal fluid, which is rich in glucose and contains very few living cells. In the spinal canal and fluid-filled cavities of the brain, dozens of neuroimplants can be located. The life of such devices will be virtually unlimited.

Source - MIT news . Details - PLoS .