Toward bioimplantable and biocompatible flexible energy harvesters using piezoelectric ceramic materials

  • PDF / 1,590,251 Bytes
  • 14 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
  • 82 Downloads / 193 Views

DOWNLOAD

REPORT


Prospective Article

Toward bioimplantable and biocompatible flexible energy harvesters using piezoelectric ceramic materials Chang Kyu Jeong, Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea; Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Center, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea; Department of Energy Storage/Conversion Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Jeonbuk 54896, Republic of Korea Address all correspondence to Chang Kyu Jeong at [email protected] (Received 4 May 2020; accepted 15 June 2020)

Abstract This article presents a comprehensive overview of currently available research on bioimplantable energy harvesters, with a specific focus on their fabrication and issue of biocompatibility. Both the achievements and limitations of the field are pointed out from the standpoint of materials science and engineering as directions for future research. Particular attention is paid to the controversy over the use of lead-based or leadfree piezoelectric ceramics in biomedical applications, which is closely related to different temporalities of research on biological conditions. This report is intended to serve as a reference guide for developing the next generation of piezoelectric biomedical devices.

Introduction Since the pacemaker was first used clinically and medically in 1958, the use of bioimplantable electronic devices in medical applications has developed dramatically.[1–3] The most representative example is the cardioverter defibrillator, for which bioimplant surgery increased by a factor of ten from 1990 to 2002.[4] In general, the study of next-generation bioimplantable devices has focused on developing smaller, thinner, lighter, and longer-lasting features than previous ones, in order to enhance their physical and mechanical compatibility with biological configurations. Thanks to the state-of-the-art technology of semiconducting device fabrication processes, many of today’s bioimplantable devices can be manufactured at the micrometer scale. The problem remains, however, of how the batteries used as energy sources in bioimplantable electronics can be sizeminiaturized and weight-lightened while maintaining high energy density. This is a critical problem because batteries play a crucial role in enabling bioimplantable electronic systems to operate other devices. Moreover, the regular surgery required for replacing bioimplanted batteries heightens risk factors for patients, particularly the elderly or young people. Other problems that have recently emerged include explosions caused by chemically reactive events and the toxicity in complex materials. As a result of these limitations, we now know that new energy technologies urgently need to be developed in order to complement or support batteries in existing bioimplantable electronic systems. Mechanical energy harvesting technologies have attracted considerable attention from scientists and engineers because they generate electricity by harnessing biomechanical energy

so