title: Continuous operation of an ultra-low-power microcontroller using glucose as the sole energy source.
abstract: An ultimate goal for those engaged in research to develop implantable medical devices is to develop mechatronic implantable artificial organs such as artificial pancreas. Such devices would comprise at least a sensor module, an actuator module, and a controller module. For the development of optimal mechatronic implantable artificial organs, these modules should be self-powered and autonomously operated. In this study, we aimed to develop a microcontroller using the BioCapacitor principle. A direct electron transfer type glucose dehydrogenase was immobilized onto mesoporous carbon, and then deposited on the surface of a miniaturized Au electrode (7mm2) to prepare a miniaturized enzyme anode. The enzyme fuel cell was connected with a 100 μF capacitor and a power boost converter as a charge pump. The voltage of the enzyme fuel cell was increased in a stepwise manner by the charge pump from 330mV to 3.1V, and the generated electricity was charged into a 100μF capacitor. The charge pump circuit was connected to an ultra-low-power microcontroller. Thus prepared BioCapacitor based circuit was able to operate an ultra-low-power microcontroller continuously, by running a program for 17h that turned on an LED every 60s. Our success in operating a microcontroller using glucose as the sole energy source indicated the probability of realizing implantable self-powered autonomously operated artificial organs, such as artificial pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Technology and Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
authors.forename: Inyoung
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Ultizyme International Ltd., 1-13-16 Minami, Meguro, Tokyo 152-0013, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sode
authors.affiliation: Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
authors.forename: Noya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loew
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Technology and Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan.
authors.forename: Wakako
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tsugawa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher Robin
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.affiliation: Department of Industrial Technology and Innovation, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Ultizyme International Ltd., 1-13-16 Minami, Meguro, Tokyo 152-0013, Japan; Institute of Global Innovation Research, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan; Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan. Electronic address: sode@cc.tuat.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sode
mesh_terms: D001187:Artificial Organs; D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D015374:Biosensing Techniques; D004566:Electrodes; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D042843:Glucose 1-Dehydrogenase / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D042843:Glucose 1-Dehydrogenase; D005947:Glucose
keywords: BioCapacitor; Direct electron transfer; Enzyme fuel cell; Glucose sensor; Implantable artificial organs; Microcontroller; Self-powered