Effectively powering implantable electronic devices has been a challenge ever since they first came to market. Batteries are bulky and have to be replaced, which is a huge problem when your device is inside a living human. Researchers from Stanford University just reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on a new wireless charging system that can penetrate deep into the body to power a tiny, grain of rice-sized device.

Previously, efficient power transfer through dense tissue without using large inducting coils has been difficult. The researchers overcame many of the challenges using a method called midfield powering to create a spot of high-energy that can be focused on the implant to power it remotely. Here’s a video report from Stanford about the ground breaking technology:

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WURJ9rgwjs

Source:Stanford University