Medical Implants And Wireless Charging

An embedded medical device is a wonderful example for the synthesis of embedded development and software development. Most embedded medical devices work on electricity (such as cochlear implants) and they have to be regularly charged to keep them working. The wires often penetrate the skin, increasing the risk of infection. What if the device could be charged wirelessly through the skin?

Wireless charging or inductive charging is an exciting development. Here, an electromagnetic field transfers energy between objects. In the future, it might transform the field of embedded medical implants.

Wireless charging has been giving mixed results in the case of embedded medical devices. For example, the device and the charger may be separated by as much as five cm of flesh and blood. As the distance increases, the charging efficiency decreases. Many implants are also small which means the target should not move when the device is being charged. It has also been found that wireless charging is not viable in the case of deeply embedded devices like pacemakers. Until these issues are resolved, patients have no option but to continue with traditional direct charging. Still, the field has a lot of potential and research must be continued.