Bio-Actuated Power Generator using Heart Muscle Cells on a PDMS Membrane

Natural cellular activities are increasingly exploited for micro analytical systems, biochemical reactors. We have proposed novel use of pulsating heart cells as mechanical micro actuators. Here we propose a novel bio-actuated power generator combined with the contractile force of heart muscle cells and piezoelectric fiber as a material of vibration energy conversion into electrical energy. Their beating frequency is about 1~2 Hz, so they heartbeat about 1.0times10⁶ times a day. We expect our proposed power generator to convert this vibration energy into the electrical energy with a piezoelectric fiber, which is widely used as an electromechanical transducer. The advantage of this living actuator and power generator, such as a heart muscle cell, is a self-organized, self-repaired and chemical energy driven mechanical component without electrical energy supply. They convert chemical energy into kinetic energy efficiently and heartbeat themselves autonomously. In this paper, preliminary experiments have been demonstrated and its principle and prototype device have been shown.