Energy harvesting system for cardiac implant applications

The miniaturization process in active medical implantable devices is driving the development of novel energy sources such as small volume, high longevity energy harvesting systems. In this study, we present an approach for the design of an inertial energy scavenger powering cardiac implants from heart generated vibrational energy. The heart acceleration spectrum has been measured and analyzed. Achievable power level and design parameters are determined from a spectral analysis to about 100μW before electronics efficiencies for a 0.5 cm
³
volume.