In Vivo Powering of Pacemaker by Breathing-Driven Implanted Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The first application of an implanted triboelectric nanogenerator (iTENG) that enables harvesting energy from in vivo mechanical movement in breathing to directly drive a pacemaker is reported. The energy harvested by iTENG from animal breathing is stored in a capacitor and successfully drives a pacemaker prototype to regulate the heart rate of a rat. This research shows a feasible approach to scavenge biomechanical energy, and presents a crucial step forward for lifetime‐implantable self‐powered medical devices.