Elsevier

Nano Energy

Volume 15, July 2015, Pages 598-606
Nano Energy

Rapid communication
Wireless, power-free and implantable nanosystem for resistance-based biodetection

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2015.05.003Get rights and content

Highlight

  • We fabricated a wireless nanogenerator driven by wireless non-contact mode.

  • The output voltage is 21.9% larger than the reported non-contact nanogenerator.

  • The output current is 23.4 times of the reported non-contact nanogenerator.

  • We fabricated a nanosystem that can be used for in-vivo biodetection.

Abstract

In-vivo devices and systems are extensively used in medical field to real-time detect and adjust the physiological status of human being, but supplying energy in-vivo for these devices and systems is still a great challenge. In this work, we first developed a new kind of wireless nanogenerator (WLNG) based on biocompatible BZT-BCT nanowires (NWs). It works through compressing and releasing BZT-BCT NWs/PDMS nanocomposite by a changing magnetic field in wireless non-contact mode. The maximum output voltage reaches 3.9 V, and the maximum output current is 1.17 μA, which are 21.9% larger than the reported maximum output voltage 3.2 V and 23.4 times of the reported maximum 50 nA of non-contact nanogenerator. And we further integrated it with a new kind of transmitter into a wireless, power-free and implantable nanosystem for in-vivo biodetection. This nanosystem does not need any electrical power. An in-vitro changing magnetic field can be used to drive it to detect the variation of resistance in-vivo and wirelessly transmit the signal to the equipments in-vitro.

Introduction

Nowadays, in-vivo devices and systems are extensively used in medical field, such as detecting and adjusting physiological function of human in-vivo or substituting a lesion organ [1], [2], [3], [4]. Till now, nearly all the in-vivo devices and systems rely on a battery for operation, but the capacities of a battery is still limited. Therefore, surgical procedures to replace the depleted batteries are inevitable, which bring many health risks to the patients [5]. So in-vivo powering these devices and systems is still a huge challenge which restricts the application of these technologies. Transporting energy wirelessly from in-vitro to in-vivo should be an effective way to solve this problem. In previous works, scientists have developed a technology on the basis of electro-magnetic induction [6] and ultrasonic wave [7]. But, the high frequency electromagnetic field or sound wave used in these technologies is harmful for the body and their penetration depth is limited [8], [9], [10]. So by now, it is still a great challenge to search a way safe to the body to power in-vivo devices.

Nanogenerator (NG) is a technology which could convert low frequency, weak mechanical energy into electrical energy based on the piezoelectric effect [11], [12]. After increasing the output voltage to more than 1 V, [13] many devices and systems as UV sensors, [13], [14], [15] chemical sensors [16] and biosensors [17] have been powered by the NG. In principle, the output power of NG is large enough to power many in-vivo devices, which makes NG a good candidate as an in-vivo power source. But powering an in-vivo biodetection system by a NG is still infeasible for the following reason. First, the energy export by human movements is unstable. Second, harvesting these movements may influence the normal work of human organ. Third, the energy generated by an in-vivo NG is still too low to directly power a wireless transmitter without energy storage. So it is almost impossible for NG to power the medical devices at present stage. In this work, we developed a power-free nanosystem for all time, wireless and in-vivo biodetection. In this nanosystem, a high performance wireless NG driven by a changing magnetic field was used for power supplying. As magnetic field could cross over human body without any hindrance and act on any materials with ferromagnetic property, this NG could be driven by a changing magnetic field applied in-vitro and provide energy for the nanosystem. In this way, the output is stable and influences less on the normal work of human organ. Its maximum output voltage reaches 3.9 V, and the maximum output current is 1.17 μA, which are 21.9% larger than the reported maximum output voltage 3.2 V and 23.4 times of the reported maximum 50 nA of non-contact nanogenerator [18]. Then, a new wireless transmitter with low energy consumption was integrated with the WLNG into a nanosystem, which could work in-vivo, send the in-vivo resistance׳s response to the in-vitro equipment. This power-free nanosystem makes it possible to all time, wirelessly and in-vivo detect the physiological parameters that can influence the nanodevice׳s resistance.

Section snippets

Preparation of BZT-BCT nanowires

The BZT-BCT NWs are fabricated by the electrospinning method shown in previous works [21]. First, tetrabutyl titanate (2.4750 g) is mixing with ethanol (3 g), acetylacetone (1.5 g), acetic acid (9.75 g) and stirring until homogenous. After that, calcium hydroxide (0.0900 g), barium hydroxide octahydrate (2.1717 g), zirconium acetylacetonate (0.3939 g) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (0.53 g) are added into the solution in order, each composition is added after the previous one dissolved totally, the precursor

The wireless nanogenerator

For wireless in-vivo biodetection, three units are needed, a power supplying unit, a sensing unit and a wireless data transferring unit. Here, we integrate the power supplying unit and the wireless data transferring unit into a wireless nanosystem in which a WLNG is used as the power unit.

As sketched in Figure 1a, the WLNG has a stratified structure containing two parts: a PDMS layer mixed with biocompatible 0.5Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) [19] sandwiched by two glass

Conclusions

In summary, we developed a power-free nanosystem for all time, wireless and in-vivo biodetection. This nanosystem contains a new kind of WLNG and a new wireless transmitter. The WLNG׳s performance is much better than that of previous non-contact nanogenerator, especially its output current is 23.4 times of the reported maximum 50 nA of non-contact nanogenerator. And energy cost of the new wireless transmitter is very low that it could be driven directly by a NG without energy storage. Using this

Acknowledgments

Research was supported by NSFC (NO. 51322203 and 51472111), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. lzujbky-2014-m02), and the Thousands Talents program for pioneer researcher and his innovation team, China.

Li Cheng received his B.S. in Physics from Lanzhou University, China in 2011. Now he is a Ph.D. student in School of Physical Science and Technology of Lanzhou University at Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. His research mainly focuses on preparation and application of nanogenerators and biomimetic materials.

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    Li Cheng received his B.S. in Physics from Lanzhou University, China in 2011. Now he is a Ph.D. student in School of Physical Science and Technology of Lanzhou University at Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. His research mainly focuses on preparation and application of nanogenerators and biomimetic materials.

    Miaomiao Yuan received her B.S.in Life sciences from Lanzhou University, China in 2011. Now she is a Ph.D. Student in School of Basic Medical Science of Lanzhou University at Institute of integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. Her research mainly focuses on Non-invasive treatment of hydatidosis.

    Long Gu received his B.S. in Material Chemistry (2010) and M.S. in Materials Engineering (2013) from Lanzhou University, China. Currently he is a Ph.D student in School of Physical Science and Technology of Lanzhou University at Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. His research mainly focuses on synthesis of one-dimensional piezoelectric material and fabrication of nanodevices.

    Zhe Wang received his B.S. in Functional Materials from Lanzhou University, China in 2013. Now he is a M.S. student in School of Physical Science and Technology of Lanzhou University at Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. His research mainly focuses on fabrication of nanodevices.

    Yong Qin received his B.S. (1999) in Material Physics and Ph.D. (2004) in Material Physics and Chemistry from Lanzhou University. From 2007 to 2009, he worked as a visiting scholar and Postdoc in Professor Zhong Lin Wang׳s group at Georgia Institute of Technology. Currently, he is a professor at the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Lanzhou University. His research interests include nanoenergy technology, functional nanodevice and self-powered nanosystem. Details can be found at: http://www.yqin.lzu.edu.cn.

    Tao Jing received his Ph.D in Medicine from the Yamagata University of Japan in 1997. Now he is a professor at the Institute of Pathogenic Biology of the School of Basic Medicine, and Chief of the Center of Biomedical Nanotechnology of Lanzhou University. His research interests mainly focus on the invasive therapy of human hydatidosis and the application of nanotechnology on human echinococcosis.

    Zhong Lin Wang received his Ph.D. from Arizona State University in physics. He now is the Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, Regents’ Professor, Engineering Distinguished Professor and Director, Center for Nanostructure Characterization, at Georgia Tech. Dr. Wang has made original and innovative contributions to the synthesis, discovery, characterization and understanding of fundamental physical properties of oxide nanobelts and nanowires, as well as applications of nanowires in energy sciences, electronics, optoelectronics and biological science. His discovery and breakthroughs in developing nanogenerators established the principle and technological road map for harvesting mechanical energy from environment and biological systems for powering a personal electronics. His research on self-powered nanosystems has inspired the worldwide effort in academia and industry for studying energy for micro-nano-systems, which is now a distinct disciplinary in energy researchand future sensor networks. He coined and pioneered the field of piezotronics and piezophototronicsby introducing piezoelectric potential gated charge transport process infabricating new electronic and optoelectronic devices. Details can be found at: http://www.nanoscience.gatech.edu.

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