Next Article in Journal
Performance Analysis of PEMFC with Single-Channel and Multi-Channels on the Impact of the Geometrical Model
Previous Article in Journal
Tri-Generation System Configuration Selection Based on Energy and Exergy Analyses
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Review

Recent Advances in Energy Harvesting from the Human Body for Biomedical Applications

by
Ihor Sobianin
1,
Sotiria D. Psoma
1 and
Antonios Tourlidakis
2,*
1
School of Engineering & Innovation, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Kozani 50100, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Energies 2022, 15(21), 7959; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217959
Submission received: 5 September 2022 / Revised: 10 October 2022 / Accepted: 15 October 2022 / Published: 26 October 2022
(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Energy Harvesting Technology)

Abstract

Energy harvesters serve as continuous and long-lasting sources of energy that can be integrated into wearable and implantable sensors and biomedical devices. This review paper presents the current progress, the challenges, the advantages, the disadvantages and the future trends of energy harvesters which can harvest energy from various sources from the human body. The most used types of energy are chemical; thermal and biomechanical and each group is represented by several nano-generators. Chemical energy can be harvested with a help of microbial and enzymatic biofuel cells, thermal energy is collected via thermal and pyroelectric nano-generators, biomechanical energy can be scavenged with piezoelectric and triboelectric materials, electromagnetic and electrostatic generators and photovoltaic effect allows scavenging of light energy. Their operating principles, power ratings, features, materials, and designs are presented. There are different ways of extracting the maximum energy and current trends and approaches in nanogenerator designs are discussed. The ever-growing interest in this field is linked to a larger role of wearable electronics in the future. Possible directions of future development are outlined; and practical biomedical applications of energy harvesters for glucose sensors, oximeters and pacemakers are presented. Based on the increasingly accumulated literature, there are continuous promising improvements which are anticipated to lead to portable and implantable devices without the requirement for batteries.
Keywords: bioelectronics; energy harvesting; wearables; implantable electronics bioelectronics; energy harvesting; wearables; implantable electronics

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Sobianin, I.; Psoma, S.D.; Tourlidakis, A. Recent Advances in Energy Harvesting from the Human Body for Biomedical Applications. Energies 2022, 15, 7959. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217959

AMA Style

Sobianin I, Psoma SD, Tourlidakis A. Recent Advances in Energy Harvesting from the Human Body for Biomedical Applications. Energies. 2022; 15(21):7959. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217959

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sobianin, Ihor, Sotiria D. Psoma, and Antonios Tourlidakis. 2022. "Recent Advances in Energy Harvesting from the Human Body for Biomedical Applications" Energies 15, no. 21: 7959. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217959

APA Style

Sobianin, I., Psoma, S. D., & Tourlidakis, A. (2022). Recent Advances in Energy Harvesting from the Human Body for Biomedical Applications. Energies, 15(21), 7959. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15217959

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop