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Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing digestible 3D printed power supplies.
The non-toxic, biocompatible, virtually edible batteries are made from the natural pigment melanin, which is responsible for the color of the eyes, skin and hair, and they use 3D-printed capsules made of biodegradable plastic for the bodies. The research is being conducted under the supervision of Professor Christopher Bettinger. Why did you need such an unusual solution? Innovative “edible” nutrients will help create more effective, targeted diagnostics and treatments. “For decades, we have dreamed of edible electronic devices for diagnosing and treating disease. But if we intend to ingest such devices on a daily basis, the toxicity issue needs to be considered in advance. Consider using biological materials to replace some of the things sold in electronics stores, ”explains Bettinger.
It is easy to guess that the placement of conventional batteries inside the human body is associated with certain risks, and therefore batteries for pacemakers are kept in an environment isolated from external influences, and autonomous gastroscopic probes are naturally removed from the gastrointestinal tract. The successful development of biodegradable, non-toxic food sources could play a key role in realizing the idea of miniature drug delivery vehicles that can remain in the body for a long time without posing a threat to patient health - for example, in the treatment of tumors. Melanin was chosen by scientists because its functions in the human body are in many ways similar to the work of nutrients: the pigment not only absorbs ultraviolet radiation, but also binds and releases metal ions. “We realized that this is essentially a natural battery,” says Bettinger.
Various materials are considered as materials for the manufacture of electrodes, including manganese and titanium oxide, sodium phosphate, and as cations, copper and iron, which are also contained in the body and do not pose a threat. In the course of the experiments, miniature batteries with a power of five milliwatts were made, using 600 milligrams of melanin as a cathode and operating for 18 hours. Although the power of the prototypes is low, it is quite sufficient to power promising miniature drug delivery vehicles. In addition to melanins, researchers are considering using pectins, natural polysaccharides produced by many plants.
