[Can an electric pacemaker be powered by the body's own energy? A medico-technical speculation]

The basic feasibility to power a cardiac pacemaker system through energy provided by vital body functions is demonstrated. Cardiac action and the respiratory apparatus are evaluated as power sources. Electromagnetic induction and the piezo-electric effect are discussed as ways of transducing mechanical into electrical energy. Size as a limiting factor in adapting technical systems to biological power sources is assessed, while criteria for a feasible solution are defined.