Blood Feeds Power Cell

Count Dracula had nothing on Japan's new fuel cell.  It doesn't use toxic substances, and it's environmentally friendly.  It runs on the most natural of energy sources: Blood.  It's designed to power upcoming artificial hearts.  But can you see other possibilities for the future?

How does this new bio-fuel cell work?  It burns sugar -- just like you and I do.  It even takes it from the same source -- quite literally, in this case, using the sugar in a person's blood stream to power the fuel cell. 

Professor Matsuhiko Nishizawa headed the team which developed the pioneering device.  Well-known in scientific circles, Professor Nishizawa holds joint appointments in Materials Science and Life Sciences at Tohoku University.

In addition to providing a readily-accessible source of fuel for artificial hearts and other devices, the blood-fuel cell is also said to be non-toxic and not to emit wastes which might endanger an individual's health or that of the environment. 

It's also a renewable energy source!

One early use for such a power cell might be to enable continuous remote monitoring of blood sugar levels in those patients who are "brittle" diabetics, or others who need to have blood sugar or other levels monitored very frequently.

But can you see other possibilities for the future?

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