Manufacturer sought for self-energising pacemaker technology

Published: 15-Aug-2012

Development of nanotechnology could spell an end to battery-powered pacemakers


Negotiations are underway to further develop an innovative new pacemaker that will generate energy from the human body.

Designed by Perpetuum with support from the Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN), the self-energising device would eliminate the need to periodically replace batteries, as is necessary with current applications. The pacemaker instead harvests energy from the changing pressure of the heart during the cardiac cycle.

Roy Freeland, president of Perpetuum, told BBH the project had been developed with the help of experts at the NanoKTM, adding: “As members we have been given a huge amount of exposure, not only by attending events, but through recommendations and by presenting at conferences and workshops alongside peers and partners in the industry. The NanoKTN activities have not only helped raise our profile within key market sectors, but have also provided a platform to showcase our technology to key target audiences and interested stakeholders. The NanoKTN has been invaluable to us as a business and especially now, as we research potential international partners and licenses to launch the pacemaker technology worldwide.”

Dr Alec Reader, director of the network, added that similar energy-harvesting technologies would be an important consideration for the future. He said: “It is clear that energy-harvesting technology will have an impact on both static and mobile applications and nanotechnology holds the promise to provide a significant number of advances in this area. We believe this area will see significant growth in the coming years, already representing a £1billion industry and we believe the technology being developed by Perpetuum will have many potential market applications.”

You may also like