Regenerative Thermoelectric Cooling for Implantable Medical Devices
Abstract
Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs) are a category of medical devices that include pacemakers, implantable cardiac defibrillators, spinal cord stimulators, and many other devices. Many of these devices are battery-powered such as pacemakers which last an average of 7 years before needing to be replaced via surgery. This research focuses on re-chargeable IMD’s such as spinal cord stimulators. Re-chargeable IMD’s often require daily charging to operate which can be a burden on the patient. Shorter charge times are desired for improved usability. One significant limitation of these re-chargeable IMD’s is that the charging current is reduced from optimal levels to mitigate heat buildup of the device. A high heat generation during charging is not acceptable due to FDA regulations that IMD’s are bound by. This heat is primarily emitted from the charging battery-element within the IMD and can be harmful to human patients. Unfortunately, limiting the current throughput as a solution for the generated heat, results in a longer charging time that affects a patient’s quality of life. This paper serves to document the research performed on the integration of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in such medical devices. It will present the thermal impacts that a TEG has when operating under similar conditions as an IMD. The TEG serves to harvest the heat energy that is normally wasted by the battery and convert it into electrical energy. The conversion from heat into electrical energy serves as a cooling mechanism for the system that correlates with the resulting charging times of IMD’s. A maximized cooling effect implemented by the TEG will further reduced IMD charging times. The mitigation of heat being introduced to the system will allow for increased charge current to be safely introduced, further increasing the rate of charge. This research will explore how effective thermoelectric devices can be in reducing the charge time for these medical devices. Ultimately, this research aims to increase the quality of life for IMD patients by addressing the thermal obstacle present in these devices.
Citation
Patterson, Samuel J (2022). Regenerative Thermoelectric Cooling for Implantable Medical Devices. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /196504.