Noticed something in a clockwatch

[hagopbul]

TL;DR Summary

Could technology used in a clockwatch be used to power a pacemaker

Greetings All:
Looking into few clockwatch adds and noticed that some of the mechanical clockwatches (handwatchs) are able to be charged(rewind a spring) by movements alone , those clockwatchs don't have a battery ,but could this mechanism, be used in charging a pacemaker battery , for example using the pulse of the artery ,to power a spring or crystal that creates a current to charge the battery , will that reduce the weight of it ?
Or just increase it's weight creating complications
What about the infection
Is there a device to create electricity from walking using similar techniques

Best Regards
Hagop

 

[DaveE]

The general topic is "energy harvesting". Yes, there may be good applications in pacemakers. A google search will give you much more information for this sort of very general question than you're likely to get from us. This, for example:
https://www.me.washington.edu/news/... is often,when mechanical pressure is applied.

 

[DaveC426913]

What is a clock watch?
Is it distinct from a watch or clock?

Even Google has never heard of the term.

I'm guessing it is a colloquialism for watch...

 

[berkeman]

What is a clock watch?
Is it distinct from a watch or clock?

Even Google has never heard of the term.

I'm guessing it is a colloquialism for watch...

Yes, he means wristwatch. Those that are rewound/recharged with movement are called "automatic" watches (hey, I didn't make up the term).

I was given a Seiko automatic watch when I was an early teen in Japan (living there with my Army family on deployment). What a treat!

https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/

When folks wear an automatic wristwatch, they often develop a "tick" type of movement with their arm where they shake the lower arm to enhance the charging effect and loosen the watchband on their wrist.

but could this mechanism, be used in charging a pacemaker battery , for example using the pulse of the artery ,to power a spring or crystal that creates a current to charge the battery , will that reduce the weight of it ?
Or just increase it's weight creating complications
What about the infection

Harvesting body movement to recharge a pacemaker battery could possibly work, but you would probably not want to try to use the cardiac muscle contractions (or lung diaphram movements) to generate that energy. If you have an implanted pacemaker, your heart is likely in trouble anyway, so adding a load and irritation to it would probably be a bad idea. And trying to harvest energy from diaphragm/lung movements is also problematic due to irritation issues.

 

[Flyboy]

The issue I see is… how do you turn mechanical energy into electrical energy to power the pacemaker?

 

[DaveC426913]

The issue I see is… how do you turn mechanical energy into electrical energy to power the pacemaker?

Elementary. Let the movement drag a magnet past some conductive wires. This induces a current.

 

[DaveC426913]

@Tom.G I hope your LOL emoticon wasn't for my Elmer Fudd impression "Ewementawawy. It was an autocorrupt by my phone.

 

[Tom.G]

Naw... Just the fact that you were clever enough to state the obvious with the wild-a*s ideas that were floating around.

Cheers,
Tom

p.s. Where can I get one of those autocorrupt phones -- sounds like it could be fun!

 

[Flyboy]

Elementary. Let the movement drag a magnet past some conductive wires. This induces a current.

But how do you move the magnet past the wires? That’s more the question I was asking.

Put the magnets on the balance wheel of the escapement mechanism?

 

[Borek]

It is probably much easier to harvest energy placing the harvesting device on a wrist (broad, quick movements all the time) than to harvest energy available in the place typical pacemaker is implanted (relatively static chest).

 

[Borek]

But how do you move the magnet past the wires? That’s more the question I was asking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_watch

Reasonably easy to convert the same idea into an electric generator (perhaps even easier, no need for high precision mechanic system).

 

[DaveE]

The issue I see is… how do you turn mechanical energy into electrical energy to power the pacemaker?

Very often done with a piezoelectric xtal.

 

[Rive]

Reliability issues of a 'life critical' application, I think.
Sometimes it's just better to keep it as simple as reasonably possible.