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Ear-Powered Medical Devices In Development
cylonlover writes "Our ears work by converting the vibrations of the eardrum into electrochemical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. The current for those signals is supplied by an ion-filled chamber deep within the inner ear – it's essentially a natural battery. Scientists are now looking at using that battery to power devices that could be implanted in the ear, without affecting the recipient's hearing. The 'battery chamber' is located in the cochlea. It is internally divided by a membrane, some of the cells of which are designed to pump ions. The arrangement of those specialized cells, combined with an imbalance of potassium and sodium ions on opposite sides of the membrane, are what creates the electrical voltage. A team of scientists from MIT, the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology have recently succeeded in running an ultra-low-power radio-transmitting chip using power from these battery chambers – in guinea pigs' ears."
Burning extra calories?
What? Speak up! I've got a current siphoning device in my ear!
Also, What happens when the ear insert chip shorts and you trip a breaker?
all the innovation in hearing lately is coming from everywhere BUT the hearing aid companies. Seriously can't wait for the advances in stem cells, electronics, etc to replace that entire industry. - HEX
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about the radio chips implanted in their heads by the government were right.
Source: Medical devices powered by the ear itself - MIT News Office
Also usable elsewhere in the body: New energy source for future medical implants: sugar - Implantable fuel cell built at MIT could power neural prosthetics that help patients regain control of limbs.
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The submitter makes me suspicious about this news. Get the airlock ready.
What do suppose the odds are that you spotted a problem that a team of Harvard and MIT scientists overlooked?
Google is just trying to figure out how to record everything you hear "to better personalize your experience".
Dunno; I'm no statistician either.
we always knew that was going on...
our cyborg, super-hearing, radio-wave transmitting, paranoid delusional, guinea pig overlords.
Great, now I'll have to put the tin foil hat inside my skull....
So, low powered radio transmitters... I wonder how long it will be before this ties into cell communications. It would be nice to have the internet in one's head. Our day draws nearer. I seem to remember that the Chinese were able to pull noise ridden images from test subjects' minds a few years back. Hopefully within our lifetime these will all be combined and jailbroken.
could we add ears to the devices? Electronics powered by sound would be BA