Researchers from Binghamton University have developed technology that will power disposable wearable devices. A special paper generator will take care of this. A team of American researchers has created a revolutionary technology that will enable the large-scale production of disposable electronics. Their invention is a paper generator that uses moisture to continuously produce electricity. This will avoid the need to regularly charge or replace the batteries that currently power disposable wearable devices used in medicine.
A paper generator will power medical devices
Technological development has led to the emergence of more and more wearable devices with medical applications intended to monitor the health of patients. In addition to devices that are used regularly, there is also disposable wearable equipment that also needs to be powered, which poses quite a challenge. The issue of powering them is a big problem that researchers from the American Binghamton University decided to solve. Scientists there developed a novel generator designed for disposable wearable devices, based on paper. Using ambient moisture to produce continuous power, eliminating the need for frequent charging or replacement.
Source: Binghamton University
The device has a biodegradable paper basesaturated with bacterial endospore biofilms. They create gradients of functional groups and nanoporous structures that enhance moisture capture and ion generation, key elements for continuous electricity production. To further increase efficiency, a hydrophobic-hydrophilic layer of Janus paper has been added, which captures ambient moisture and directs it to the generator. This allows the technology to provide consistent power output, even in low-humidity environments.
The generator is light and flexible, and at the same time ecologicalbecause after use it can be thrown away without much harm to the environment, which solves the problem of electronic waste. It is also able to maintain stable performance in various conditions, is resistant to bending and is able to operate for a long time. It can also be scaled, which allows it to be adapted to power various types of devices. This technological innovation is currently in its early stage of development, so the authors of the invention will now focus on improving it. They intend not only to increase power output, but also to develop energy storage methods and integration with other energy harvesting techniques. They will also focus on the miniaturization of technology.
