On: Battery-Free Bioelectronic Implants

[elcritch]

Yeah all of the complex chemical reactions our bodies do are handled by structures which self-repair when damaged. Our technology level isn't that advanced yet. Any in body system would almost certainly need to be replaced more often than a battery + inductive charger combo would.

That said, it would be awesome if we could and this research are small stepping stones on that path.

[iancmceachern → elcritch]

You got it.

It's because it's hard.

The closest thing we have to this is dialysis, and we need to replace the business end (dialyzer) of the device every treatment.

It's biofouling. The body naturally wants to attack and foul up anything that's not natural. It's a classic problem in implants.

[whaaaaat → elcritch]

Oh, to be clear, I don't think it's a good idea today or the near future. But it's neat that there's an imaginable world where we can power devices this way.