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Implant Powered by Heart's Lub Dub

Tracy Staedter, Discovery News

"Anything we can do to prolong the battery life can be beneficial from both a patient standpoint as well as from a physician standpoint," said Biederman.

But how long the battery life can be prolonged is the question.

"If you're adding only a year or two to total overall longevity, it might not be quite so striking," said Biederman. But, he said, "If you could make it completely maintenance-free, then you have a significant advance."

The team has not yet pinpointed how long their innovation could prolong battery life, but they are shooting high.

"In the best case, the battery is just a back up and doesn't need to be there at all," said Tran. The team recently filed for a patent application, and is now working to create a prototype that can be tested in animals.

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