By: Jonathan Lloyd

Blood Battery created by The University of British Columbia in Vancouver (April 2009)

4,300 years ago it’s believed that Egyptians used batteries to electroplate antimony onto copper.

The first practical use of static electricity was created by Alessandro Volta which led to the invention of the Voltaic Cell in the year 1800.

A Voltaic Cell is more commonly known as a battery!

Lithium Ion Batteries, which are the most common medical batteries, last up to 15 years.

Blood Battery created by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York (August 2007)

In comparison to a pacemaker, a lithium ion battery is about half the weight (≈15g)

There are many restrictions for air transport of lithium ion batteries

The cell life diminishes at 8% per year when stored in a 98⁰F environment

When overheated it can leak and/or explode Produces 4.2V and 2.3W max Bulky Cost ≈$55

Composition: 90% Cellulose, 10% Carbon Nanotubes

Looks and feels like paper A 17”x22” sheet of Blood battery weighs

≈4g Cell life doesn’t diminish Produces 400nW Can be cut and shaped to the devices

needs Cost ≈$45 per 17”x22” sheet

Lithium Batteries use battery acid to provide a current where Blood Batteries can use blood, sweat or urine to provide a current. As long as the battery is in an ionic solution it can charge and create current. If placed on a pacemaker, hearing aid, prosthetic, etc. it can power the device without losing cell life or ever needing to be replaced.

Yeast based batteries have a small colony of yeast inside the battery. The fuel cell can draw energy from the glucose in the blood flowing around it.

When the yeast metabolizes the glucose “steal” electrons in order to make the current.

The only flaw with this device is the need to dispose of the waste material after the metabolization.

Neither of these methods of Blood Batteries have been tested on a medical device but they are leading the biomedical field in research and maybe one day soon they will be printing out Blood Batteries like newspapers.

Silverman, Jacob. "HowStuffWorks "Blood Batteries"" Howstuffworks "Electronics" Web. 04 Apr. 2011. <http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/blood-battery.htm>.

The Sydney Morning Herald. "Power from blood could lead to human 'batteries.'“ 04 Apr. 2011. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/03/1059849278131.html

Edition, Morning. "Blood, Sweat Could Power New Paper Battery : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=13754475>.

Golijan, Rosa. "Can Your Body Be A Battery?" Gizmodo, the Gadget Guide. 15 Nov. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. <http://gizmodo.com/>.

Newitz, Annalee. "Batteries That Feed on Blood." Io9. We Come from the Future. 2 Apr. 2009. Web. 04 Apr. 2011. <http://io9.com/>.