Glucose-powered medical implants could replace bulky batteries

Millions of people around the world rely on implanted medical devices to treat life-long conditions including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and heart conditions. While the devices offer transformative improvements for users, they also have some persistent drawbacks.

Chief among these is the use of batteries – despite downsizing over recent decades, batteries often account for over 80% of a device’s volume and weight, and require potentially risky surgeries for replacement, maintenance and patient comfort.

But what if a different source of power could be found within patients’ own bodies? That is the aim of a new project that has received £2.1m to develop ‘bioelectronics’ powered by glucose that is naturally found in the body.

Led by the University of Bath, the Glutronics (short for ‘Glucose-fuelled ultra-low power implantable bioelectronics’) project is aimed at addressing the invasiveness and limitations of current implantable devices.

Also involving the Universities of Newcastle, Oxford and Sheffield, the project team is developing miniature, lightweight and long-lasting glucose fuel cells that convert sugars in bodily fluids into useful energy at the µW or microwatt (one-millionth of a watt) scale. The fuel cells will mimic the way organs extract the energy they need from sugars that are replenished by food.

“By enabling unprecedented miniaturisation without compromising power performance, Glutronics could dramatically advance the usage and capabilities of implantable electronic devices, such as pacemakers, electronic nerve stimulation devices and diabetes monitors,” a Bath announcement claimed today (31 October).

“This will help improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide living with an implantable bioelectronic device, and broaden the range of application opportunities, ultimately supporting precision therapy and effective management of chronic diseases.”

Previous examples of glucose fuel cells – including one developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – have involved a bottom cathode, a middle electrolyte and a top anode, which transforms the sugar into gluconic acid, releasing a pair of protons and a pair of electrons in the process.

Project leader Professor Mirella Di Lorenzo, co-director of the Centre for Bioengineering & Biomedical Technologies, said the ambition is to go “beyond the state-of-the-art, with a system approach that goes beyond electrode chemistry… to include electronics, device-body integration strategies, manufacturing, regulatory frameworks and solutions co-developed by patients and the public”.   

Bioelectronics are “shaping the future of medicine, enabling personalised, precise and proactive therapies,” the announcement said. That innovation is driving demand for new power systems that are reliable and efficient when operating in people, are long-lasting and can meet the strict safety requirements set by regulators worldwide.

“Medical devices provide significant benefit to patients with a range of diseases,” said Professor Alex Rothman from the University of Sheffield. “The ability to charge in the same way the body fuels its own organs will remove the need to replace or recharge devices… and overcome one of the major barriers in the area.”  

The work involves a multidisciplinary team, with expertise in material science, electrocatalysis, fuel cell technology, mathematical modelling, implantable electronics and clinical translation, and includes industrial collaborator Amber Therapeutics.

The research will be validated through in vitro and in vivo trials, meaning both outside and inside living organisms. Those trials will simulate powering a cardiac device with energy demands exceeding 1µW, aiming to demonstrate the clinical potential of the technology.

Funded by UK Research and Innovation through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the project has received £2.1m in support and will run until May 2028.