Energy harvesting from biological cells

Motivation

In today’s medicine electronic devices are standard of care to interact with biological tissue, to measure and monitor biological signals and to substitute organ deficiencies. Cardiac device therapy is one of the oldest and most widely used clinical fields using implantable electronic devices.

Until today all medical electronic devices operate on batteries or external energy transfer. Autonomously driven energy self-sustaining medical electronics do not exist. Current technology of energy supply limits implantable electronic lifetime, it necessitates secondary replacement surgery with associated costs and risks, and it restricts functionalities of advanced biological signal monitoring to guide patient management and digital health.

Implantable cardiac electronics are further limited through typical out-of-organ implant sites which necessitate long insulated wires to connect to cardiac tissue. These so-called ‘leads’ carry a significant risk of insulation defect, wire break, infection and other vascular damage. With limited connection points to the target organ this technology contains further unmet risks of patient harm, repetitive surgeries and incremental healthcare costs.

Our Mission

Micro electronic

Smart semiconductor implants for medical observation and actuation in the Nano-Watt range.

Biological cells

Energy harvesting and electrical stimulus directly interfacing with the cells.

Energy harvesting

Biological cells provide the energy for the function.

Connectivity

Wireless read and write interface to the device.

Technology

Based on a number of European-Patent-Office- and PCT-filings, we hold a strong IP position on technology, which allows to collect electrical energy of living biological cells with the purpose to sense, communicate and process electronic actions in medical electronic devices such as loop recorders and cardiac pacemakers.

Our basic operating principle enables collection of electrical energy in the Nano-Watt range. Its provenience is located in the action potential cycle of the living cell, which transforms sugar as primary energy carrier into electrical current flow as well as nerve and muscle action. We also employ system redundancy and time-domain differences between semiconductors and biology for increased efficiency. Our technology allows for storage, transformation and usage of Nano-Watt-Power to supply the energy needed to operate medical electronic components.

Biological cells example. Cardiac pacemaker therapy is one of the oldest clinical electronic applications. During every single heartbeat, billions of cardiac cell are orchestrated in their synchronized function through a wave-like spread and magnification of electrical activation. Our technology utilizes this biological characteristic for multi-point electrical energy harvesting in substitution of deficiencies in electric organ functionalities, if they occur (see graphic).

Our product will be an implantable semiconductor chip with more than 100 electrical connection points into cardiac tissue. The device will operate without leads, and, through the connection points, will provide a high number of mutually replaceable interfaces to the cardiac tissue.

Company Video

Team

Dr.-Ing. Gerd Teepe

Founder and CEO
Semiconductor, Engineering

Dr. med. Judith
Piorkowski

Founder
Cardiac, Electro-physiology

Dr. med. Thomas Gaspar

Founder
Cardiac, Electro-physiology

Jarek Budny, MBA

Founder,
Chief Financial Officer Celtro Inc.

Dr.-Ing. Manu Thayyil

Principal Design Engineer
Semiconductor, Engineering

Dr.-Ing. Niko Joram

Principal System Engineer
Semiconductor, Engineering

Dr.-Ing. Tom Drechsel

Principal System Engineer
Semiconductor, Engineering

Paul Reidy

President Celtro Inc.

Forrest Pape

Implantable Device Architect

Andres Belalcazar

Scientific Advisor

We are hiring miroelectronic engineers. You are interested to join our team? Please write an e-mail to gerd.teepe@celtro.de.

About us

„CELTRO was founded on November 18th, 2019. Its initial work has focused on feasibility studies, system architecture, creation of the development-partner-network and own patent filings. We are now expanding operationally to develop the prototypes leading into qualified products.“

Backed by venture capital from private investors.

News

Energy generation from biological cells

Semiconductors are the basis of modern medical devices such as pacemakers, biosensors, and hearing aids. Today, technology advancements have reduced power consumption of chips to the extent that the energy supply of such systems can be powered by body’s own cell energy.  Battery depletion, device replacement, replacement operations and charging stations will become obsolete in the future.

Read More »

Energiegewinnung aus biologischen Zellen

Halbleiterelektronik ist die fundamentale Grundlage moderner Medizinprodukte wie Herzschrittmacher, Biosensoren oder Hörhilfen. Heute ist der Zeitpunkt gekommen, die Energie-Versorgung derartiger Systeme autark aus körpereigener Zellenergie zu erzeugen. Batterieerschöpfung, Gerätewechsel, Austausch-Operationen und Ladestationen würden damit überflüssig werden.

Read More »

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