QUB organic battery ‘less painful than pacemaker’

A NEW kind of flexible “organic battery” invented in Belfast could provide a more comfortable alternative to pacemakers, according to researchers.

Heart devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators are currently powered by rigid, metal-based batteries implanted under the skin that can rub and cause soreness.

Dr Geetha Srinivasan, from Queen’s University’s Ionic Liquid Laboratories Research Centre, said: “For this reason, batteries need to be compatible with the human body and ideally we would like them to be flexible so that they can adapt to body shapes.”

The new invention is made from biodegradable organic material and can change shape to suit the user.

“The device that we have created has a longer life cycle, is non-flammable, has no leakage issues and, above all, is more flexible for placing within a person’s body,” explained Dr Srinivasan.

Details of the device are published in the latest edition of the journal Energy Technology and Green Chemistry.