Mini-fuel cell generates electricity using the body’s sugar

Silicon chip with 30 individual glucose micro fuel cells, seen as small silver squares inside each gray rectangle. Image: Kent Dayton Glucose energy source for medicinal implants and sensors - Mini-fuel cell generates electricity using the body's sugar Glucose is the most important energy source in the human body. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) now want to use the body's sugar as an energy source for medicinal implants. They have developed a glucose fuel cell which converts sugar into electricity. Medicinal implants such as sensors for measuring vital functions, electrodes for Deep Brain Stimulation in treating Parkinson's disease and cardiac pacemakers all require power sources which are as reliable and as small as possible. But there are limits to how far battery size can be reduced, since batteries require a certain volume in order to be able to store energy. A research team led by Jennifer Rupp , Professor for the chemistry of solid-state electrolytes at TUM and MIT's Dr. Philipp Simons have now developed a glucose fuel cell which is only 400 nanometers thick - one hundredth of the diameter of a human hair.