Intraurethral Energy Harvesting from Urine Flow as an Approach to Power Urologic Implants

Active urologic implants, such as bladder stimulators or artificial sphincters, are a widely-used approach for therapy of urinary incontinence. At present these devices are powered by primary batteries or conventional wireless power transferring techniques. As these methods are associated with several limitations, human body energy harvesting can be a promising alternative or complement for power supply. This paper introduces an approach to harvest energy from the urine flow inside the urethra with a mechatronic harvesting system based on a hubless flow turbine. Using a test bench approximating the flow conditions of the lower urinary tract, the feasibility of the harvesting principle is shown in-vitro.