What: Scientists have found a way to make piezoelectric materials more flexible by combining them with silicone rubber, increasing their potential for use on or within the body. Piezoelectric materials generate electricity from kinetic energy. In the future, flexible "lung belts" could harvest energy from the rhythm of breathing to power pacemakers or other implantable devices.
Who: Researchers at Princeton University
The Future: The researchers hope once they have scaled the ribbons up to a larger size, they will be able to power implanted biomedical devices. Their use in powering pacemakers may help reduce the number of invasive surgeries patients undergo to replace batteries or fix problems.
-compiled by Haley McKey
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