Implantable medical devices powered by batteries only exist in a few spheres of clinical practice. It is partly because most batteries are made of nasty things that have to be safely contained inside a strong metal case, making impractical a lot of what is actually possible. Researchers at the Fudan University in Shanghai, China have just reported on a new type of battery that relies on electrolytes that are commonly used in medicine and research, including saline solution and cell-culture medium. Being sodium-ion batteries, since they’re not relying on toxic or corrosive substances to operate, makes them fundamentally safe and compatible with the body.
