# Implantable Cardiac Power Generation Using Flexible 3D Porous Thin Films

> **NIH NIH R01** · DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · 2020 · $475,386

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Batteries for automatic implantable cardiac defibrillators (AICDs) typically need to be replaced every 5-7 years,
whereas the average post-implantation longevity of AICD recipients with congestive heart failure (CHF) has
increased to over 15 years. This mismatch poses a significant and ever-growing clinical and economic burden,
since replacing the battery requires surgical intervention. Reducing the number of replacement surgeries will
both prevent morbidity and lower costs. In the U.S. alone, AICD battery replacement costs billions of dollars
each year, and reducing or eliminating these costs is clearly an imperative with health care reform. An
innovative solution to increase AICD battery lifetimes is to harness the robust intrinsic energy of the heart and
convert it to electrical power. Few successful studies on implantable energy generators have been reported
however, and current piezoelectric generators are unsuitable for implantable applications due to low energy
density or poor biocompatibility. In our preliminary studies, we have demonstrated that increasing the porosity
of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) structures increases their compressibility, resulting in higher piezoelectric
efficiency. The hypothesis of this proposal is that flexible and conformable porous PVDF polymer films
embedded inside AICD leads, or as stand-alone leads, can convert the mechanical motion of the heart into
electrical energy by exploiting the high piezoelectricity efficiency of the PVDF film. In our specific aims, we will
first develop flexible micro-power generators made of porous PVDF layers that can be interfaced with current
AICD lead technology. Secondly, we will design computational models for porous PVDF structures and cardiac
energy harvesting devices to allow for optimal design and power efficiency. In parallel, two types of bistable
structures fabricated through strain engineering will be explored as energy harvesting devices, and their
performance will be optimized using computer simulations. Thirdly, in vitro quantification and testing of the
micro-power generator in an animal model of canine will be carried out to evaluate the clinical potential of our
approach. Our research will support the development of a broad class of tunable porous nanomaterial
networks capable of high efficient energy conversion, with potentially far-reaching applications in biomedical
engineering.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9935141
- **Project number:** 5R01HL137157-05
- **Recipient organization:** DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Xiaojing Zhang
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $475,386
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-20 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9935141

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9935141, Implantable Cardiac Power Generation Using Flexible 3D Porous Thin Films (5R01HL137157-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9935141. Licensed CC0.

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