Most implanted medical systems are limited by the size of their power source. This limitation slows down the development of devices, such as autonomous subcutaneous sensors measuring glucose levels in diabetic patients, which would make patients totally autonomous, thus avoiding under- and overdosing of medication.
The aim of our work is to produce an alternative to the so-called " classical " batteries (lithium, zinc/air, etc.) : glucose/O2 enzymatic biopiles. These miniature biopiles would operate autonomously (in vivo) under the skin, drawing chemical energy from the oxygen-glucose pair naturally present in physiological fluids. The selectivity of the enzymatic reactions enables the construction of a single-compartment cell, containing both the anodic reagent (glucose) and the cathodic reagent (oxygen). Once implanted under the skin, these biopiles could then power autonomous, implanted medical devices.
During this seminar, in addition to the biopile concept, I'll be presenting our multidisciplinary approach, which has enabled us to tightly integrate biological elements with electrodes in a controlled manner, and to implant biopiles in mice.
