Implantable power generation system utilizing muscle contractions controlled by electrical stimulation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14142
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Design engineering/Machine functional elements/Tribology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: SHINSHI Tadahiko 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 教授 (60272720)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 土方 亘 東京工業大学, 工学院, 准教授 (30618947)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: エナジーハーベスティング / 電気刺激 / 筋肉 / マイクロ発電機 / 回転型 / 直線型

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An implantable power generation system driven by muscle contractions for supplying power to active implantable medical devices (AIMDs), such as pacemakers and neurostimulators, is proposed. In this system, a muscle is intentionally contracted by an electrical stimulation in accordance with the demands of the AIMD for electrical power. In this study, using the gastrocnemius muscle of a toad, the characteristics of muscle contraction by electricity stimulation was surveyed. Furthermore, micro rotary and linear type generators converting the muscle motion to electric power were proposed and tested.

Free Research Field

精密工学