Micropower for Medical Applications

Abstract This article reviews the recent development of micropower devices in view of medical applications. Microelectromechanical system technology makes implantable devices smaller and cheaper recently, however, developing micropower source of implant device is still challenging. Micropower is classified into two categories: energy storage or energy generation. Current research on miniaturized batteries like fuel cells, thin‐film battery, and micromachined battery are surveyed and their application for implant devices is discussed. Several microfabricated power generators using vibration and body heat are compared and their applicability to medical devices is considered. In the future, a miniaturized battery with high energy density and high power will be the main power source, and a micropower generator will recharge the consumed energy as an auxiliary device.