Self-powered implantable electromagnetic device for cardiovascular system monitoring through arterial wall deformation

Abstract

In this paper, we present the potential of a device, originally designed for energy harvesting, to form a self-powered medical implant that monitors critical parameters of the cardiovascular system. The original design consists of a coil that deforms with an artery inside magnetic field applied by two permanent magnets. We fabricated the device, and developed appropriate experimental setup that simulates blood flow and arterial wall pulsation with adjustable frequency and pressure. The voltage and power of the moving coil, as well as the pressure inside the tube simulating the pulsating artery were measured at different frequencies. In-vitro experiments and theoretical analysis showed that the voltage induced across the coil’s terminals can provide information on blood pressure, heart rate, arterial wall deformation and velocity.