h a l f b a k e r yPoint of hors d'oevre
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Here's a solution for pacemakers & other low-draw, implanted medical devices that currently require surgery to replace batteries. Here's how an entry in Wikipedia puts it, "More recently, electronic quartz watches that are powered by arm movement have been developed. A weighted rotor turns a tiny electrical
generator, charging a rechargeable battery or capacitor which powers the quartz movement. This automatic quartz arrangement provides the accuracy of quartz without the need to replace the battery or capacitor until it reaches the end of its life, which may be decades." While we're at it, this could be adapted to that expandable vertical rib developed for scoliosis patients.
US Patent 3,693,625 (1972)
http://www.google.c...nts?id=b7YuAAAAEBAJ
Heart Stimulator and Heart-Powered Energy Supply Therfor, by someone French. [jutta, May 19 2008]
[link]
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Primary cells used in pacemakers typically last about ten
years, IIRC.
Secondary cells have a limited cycle life, in that their
capacity
diminishes as they get cycled more and more times. If I
had a
pacemaker, I'd rather get surgery every ten years than
have to worry
about whether I'd moved my body around enough
recently, and whether
I'd need to move my body around more and more often as
the cell wore
out. Plus, it might last less than ten years before the
capacity
got too low to be useful (judging by how long phone and
laptop batteries last), so surgery might be more frequent,
not less. |
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