Ear-Powered Medical Devices In Development

cylonlover writes "Our ears work by converting the vibrations of the eardrum into electrochemical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. The current for those signals is supplied by an ion-filled chamber deep within the inner ear – it's essentially a natural battery. Scientists are now looking at using that battery to power devices that could be implanted in the ear, without affecting the recipient's hearing. The 'battery chamber' is located in the cochlea. It is internally divided by a membrane, some of the cells of which are designed to pump ions. The arrangement of those specialized cells, combined with an imbalance of potassium and sodium ions on opposite sides of the membrane, are what creates the electrical voltage. A team of scientists from MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology have recently succeeded in running an ultra-low-power radio-transmitting chip using power from these battery chambers – in guinea pigs' ears."

Re:

[i kan reed]

Burning extra calories?

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Dunno; I'm no statistician either.

I wonder if we could wire our ears to the grid

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, What happens when the ear insert chip shorts and you trip a breaker?

So it seems like...

[Jonah Hex]

all the innovation in hearing lately is coming from everywhere BUT the hearing aid companies. Seriously can't wait for the advances in stem cells, electronics, etc to replace that entire industry. - HEX

So all those psych patients complaining

[Andy Prough]

about the radio chips implanted in their heads by the government were right.

Re:

[gewalker]

That is nothing, wait until they start complaining about implanted guinea pigs.

Yes but

[Andy Prough]

we always knew that was going on...

Damn blogs

[arielCo]

Source: Medical devices powered by the ear itself - MIT News Office [mit.edu]

Also usable elsewhere in the body: New energy source for future medical implants: sugar [mit.edu] - Implantable fuel cell built at MIT could power neural prosthetics that help patients regain control of limbs.

"cylonlover writes..."

[Conchobair]

The submitter makes me suspicious about this news. Get the airlock ready.

Google

[isaacdl]

Google is just trying to figure out how to record everything you hear "to better personalize your experience".

I for one welcome

[Anonymous Coward]

our cyborg, super-hearing, radio-wave transmitting, paranoid delusional, guinea pig overlords.

Need some sterile tin foil

[cruff]

Great, now I'll have to put the tin foil hat inside my skull....

Re:

[Sulphur]

Great, now I'll have to put the tin foil hat inside my skull....

Can industry make an affordable tinfoil hat? Now its a medical device.

Now imagine the future

[MakerDusk]

So, low powered radio transmitters... I wonder how long it will be before this ties into cell communications. It would be nice to have the internet in one's head. Our day draws nearer. I seem to remember that the Chinese were able to pull noise ridden images from test subjects' minds a few years back. Hopefully within our lifetime these will all be combined and jailbroken.

Re:

[peragrin]

think subdermal bluetooth headset.

you can really walk around talking like a crazy person and be completely correct.

when your phone rings only you will be able to hear it.bbnow if they could come up with a subvocalized microphone to go with it then you could have a full conversation while looking like your paying attention in a boring meeting.