Humans have been generating electricity from just about anything that has a little extra energy to give for a long time. From hydroelectric power, solar power, wind energy, geothermal power, nuclear power, coal (fossils), wave power, tidal power; just name it! Anything having capacity to vibrate or move in any way has been explored and maximally utilized to produce electricity to better human life. Now, to think that this whole craze could be scaled down to the point of harnessing energy from the bloodstream to produce electricity, is something different altogether, and kinda difficult to believe; right? 

![PPM1.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSSw4XVeMzm77eud83mV12UYDUhJLDCVuQ7DacoHirp8a/PPM1.png)
<sub>[Source: [Wikimedia commons](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PPM.png). Author: Npatchett. [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en) licensed]</sub>                

But that is no fallacy; scientists have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to generate electricity from the bloodstream by successfully harnessing the flow current created by the blood flowing through the arteries. In this article, we shall be looking at the feasibility of this claim based on the preliminary experimental report of the pioneering scientists. 

In what's described as the first ever attempt to harness energy from flowing bloodstream, Swiss researchers employed similar principles that are used to generate electricity in large [hydroelectric power plants](https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/renewables/future-of-hydropower) to also generate microwatts of electricity off a tiny turbine that can potentially be installed inside a blood vessel. Instigating scientific interests in this endeavor was the need to create a self-sustaining miniaturized nanogenerator to help power implanted medical devices such as glucose meters, pacemakers, neurostimulators, drug-delivering pumps or blood pressure sensors all of which require microwatts of electricity to keep functioning.              

The experiences of those in whom some of the above listed devices are implanted into their bodies are nothing to write home about because each of the devices requires a replaceable battery or cable attached to an external power source to maintain steady power flow for their continuous functioning. Consequently, individuals living with these devices have to go through the harrowing experience of periodic surgical revisions throughout their lives. 

![surgery-1807541_1280.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmSX18n3Ew2ATGbNC51eXz5vTFmfwuuU6mgJh1ngeuqdVo/surgery-1807541_1280.jpg)
<sub>[Source: [pixabay](https://pixabay.com/en/surgery-hospital-doctor-care-1807541/). CC0 licensed]</sub>

Hence, powering these implantable devices with electrical energy derived within the body will eliminate the need for replaceable batteries and cables connected to an external power source. And what a great relief it would be for these individuals when the need for periodic surgery to install new battery or cable has completely been eliminated!? Heaven on earth for sure! 

According to the research leader, Alois Pfenniger, the heart generates about 1 to 1.5 watts of hydraulic power whereas a typical [pacemaker](https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-pacemaker) requires just about 10 microwatts to function maximally. Collaborating with scientists from the University of Bern and the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Pfenniger carried out an experiment in which he tested three miniature turbines inside a small tube that is designed to mimic the internal thoracic artery, which is said to be redundant and so often cannibalized for surgery. 

The result showed that the most efficient of the three turbines he tested was able to generate as much as 800 microwatts of electricity which is enough to not only power pacemakers but also devices that are several times more power hungry than pacemakers. The researchers presented their findings during the [Microtechnologies in Medicine and Biology conference](https://www.transducer-research-foundation.org/archive/mmb2011/) in Lucerne, Switzerland. 

![Blood_clot_removal1.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmY2ae9H1RMeWJwYw1NnSy8397EHvRci5CP6L1f6e2176N/Blood_clot_removal1.jpg)
<sub>[Source: [Wikimedia commons](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blood_clot_removal.jpg). Author: Zina Deretsky, NSF. Public domain licensed]</sub>         

However, during the presentation, a serious point of concern was raised by the attendees, which is the possibility of the microturbines causing a blood clot. Because when blood is trapped in the eddies, it tend to coagulate. Attendees feared that if such microturbines could cause turbulence in the blood vessel where they are implanted, that would surely lead to blood clots, the consequences of which are better not imagined. 

To this, the researchers agreed and acknowledged that the three microturbines actually produced varying degrees of turbulence, which they promised to find a way to address in their future experiment to avoid possible cases of blood clots. They may have to come up with an entirely different design or tweak the existing design to improve it. 

This is quite understandable as it is part of the trend in the development of bio-compatible medical devices. The designs of most popular implantable medical devices in use today weren't achieved in one fell swoop; they are products of years of trials and errors. So the work of Pfenniger and associates aren't a wasted effort. With more tweaking and trying out new design concepts, they are bound to achieve success in this regard. It must however be stated at this point that Engr Pfenniger and associates are not the only research group seeking to develop a self-sustaining implantable nanognerator. Other research groups are experimenting with other avenues via which energy could be generated from the pulse of arteries. Thanks for reading.    

### **References**
* <sub>[**Swiss scientists design a turbine to fit in human arteries**](https://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/devices/swiss-scientists-design-a-turbine-to-fit-in-human-arteries.amp.html)</sub>
* <sub>[**Tiny turbine in human artery harvests energy from blood**](https://phys.org/news/2011-05-tiny-turbine-human-artery-harvests.amp)</sub>
* <sub>[**A tiny turbine in your veins could harvest power from your blood flow**](https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/installing-tiny-turbine-bloodstream-could-power-implanted-medical-devices-indefinitely)</sub>
* <sub>[**Artery implanted generators**](https://www.trendhunter.com/amp/trends/vascular-turbine)</sub> 
* <sub>[**Top 10 sources for energy**](https://grist.org/article/the-top-10-sources-for-energy/)</sub> 

Truly yours, 
@sciencetech, 
STEM Contributor.