Crank That Until Your Heart's Content

By E.M. Wollof
From the The Cold Boot Blog Series

Yet another beautiful discovery from that group we call "researchers," aka "scientists." Out of Purdue comes a new type of sustainable energy device....in your body.

This little device, which is implanted in your body with the medical implant, has the ability to sense acoustic vibrations, take those acoustic vibrations and generate them into electrical pulses that can recharge the ever important batteries that power said implants.

This tiny devil does this by using a 2 centimeter long cantilever that is made up of PZT, or lead zirconate titanate, which generates electricity when it is compressed. Long story short, you pump some tunes (acoustic waves) at your body and the cantilever picks up the frequency of vibrations in the 200-500 hertz range (for those who aren't sound geniuses, hertz have to do with the cycle of waves per second, 200-500 cycles of wavelength per second). Once the waves drop out of the range designated, the cantilever stops vibrating and discharges electricity to the battery pack in the implant. Just like that, sustainable energy source!

I'm sure that most are thinking what I thought initially: "Are we meant to pump fat beats into our bodies every minute of the day?" No, this handy device has the ability to alternate between storage and transmission via a nearby radio receiver.

The team that came up with this genius device tested many different forms of music for compatibility and effectiveness, the winner? Rap, techno, anything with the fattest of fat beats....

I can just see it now...my grandma rocking some DUBstep just to keep her heart pumping. Gives a whole new meaning to a song that made my heart stop..hyuck hyuck...

See you next week...

The Cold Boot Series
A blog series by E.M. Wollof.Next:Magical Jaw Recontruction and Express Lane Diagnosis Previously:Diabetes Sufferers May Soon Be Free of the Frequent Prick!

3 Comments

Respond on facebook (Post to facebook and HelloLife)

sprouty
makes us bass players ever more important. just think, i could be saving lives!
Commented on HelloLife February 03 at 3:52 pm
Bri Luginbill
Whoa this is pretty cool! Any idea when they would release this technology for consumer use? Or has it already happened? Right now my pacemaker battery lasts 10 years...but I always listen to music loudly...so this would be pretty cool to have when it's time to get a new battery. My grandma and I could rock out to some tunes together!?! :P

I may ask my doctor about this. thanks for posting, E.M.!
Commented on HelloLife February 06 at 7:54 am
E.M. Wollof
Much of the time, when research like this is released, it is only after they have perfected the design. There is so much testing still needed, along with all the regulations and restrictions (hoops) that must be gained/jumped through. So, while I would love to assure the general public that something like this will be available to the you very soon, alas, I can not.
Commented on HelloLife February 06 at 7:59 am