Perspectives on Biomedical Piezoelectric Nanogenerators: A Roadmap and Benchmark

Abstract

The exponential rise in Internet-of-Things devices has highly impacted the domain of medical implants. The latter are a pillar of modern medicine and enable the treatment of many diseases and patient-specific monitoring. However, reliance on batteries that must be replaced through invasive interventions or recharged regularly places stress on the patient and may reduce patient outcomes. Energy harvesting using implantable nanogenerators has shown promise as a way to extend the lifetime of battery-driven implants or even to replace batteries in devices. This paper outlines a specific benchmark challenge and the required directions for powering deep-brain stimulators.