Potential of subdermal solar energy harvesting for medical device applications based on worldwide meteorological data

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.

Wireless Electrical Power Delivery Using Light through Soft Skin Tissues under Misalignment and Deformation

“…Recent technologies for providing sustainable and reliable electrical power to implants [ 10–12 ] include piezoelectric/triboelectric generators, [ 13–18 ] biofuel cells, [ 19,20 ] inductive radio frequency (RF), [ 21–23 ] photovoltaics (PV), [ 24–28 ] and others. [ 29,30 ] Among these, wireless power transfer via RF inductive coupling has the advantage of providing relatively high power.…”

“…[31,32] However, RF wireless power transfer may have limited efficiency when the transceiver is miniaturized [16,33,34] or misaligned. [28,31] The technology using photovoltaics can also provide adequate electrical power to implants by capturing ambient light [24,36] or capturing light from an external light source. [37,38] While these technological advancements are encouraging, the characteristics of electrical performance when using devices under deformation or misalignment caused by opaque soft skin tissues have not yet been reported.…”

Implications of Wound Healing on Subcutaneous Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting

“…The light transmission of human skin was extensively modelled using Monte Carlo simulations [9]. A meteorological data evaluation estimated the real life potential of subcutaneous photovoltaic harvesting [10]. Further research on a medical photovoltaic power supply [11], an energy autonomous photovoltaic powered CMOS sensor [12] and a photovoltaic harvester specialized on infrared radiation [13] showed promising results.…”