This pioneering device, made from a unique combination of semiconductive diamonds and titanium, taps into the flow of bodily fluids—such as blood—to generate electricity. This capability opens doors to a variety of applications in medical technology; devices could now run continuously without the limitations imposed by conventional batteries, which not only take up valuable space but also degrade over time, leading to the necessity for surgical replacements. Senior Lead Researcher Dr. Arman Ahnood emphasizes that the integration of diamonds transforms titanium, typically viewed as a passive structural material, into a dynamic platform, capable of energy scavenging and wireless power transfer, all while maintaining biocompatibility.

As the researchers conducted initial lab tests using saline solutions, the implications for actual medical applications became increasingly apparent. The experiment demonstrated that as liquid moves across the surface of the implant, it produces a steady electrical signal. This breakthrough introduces a duality that has rarely, if ever, been observed in implant materials, which traditionally function either as insulators or conductors. The diamond-titanium hybrid combines both qualities, producing a self-sustaining source that could significantly reduce the reliance on batteries.

The RMIT team envisions that this innovation will play an essential role in developing future smart medical devices. For example, implants could monitor health conditions and report them wirelessly to doctors in real-time, proactively identifying potential complications or deviations from a patient’s normal physiological parameters. This technology could ultimately redefine how conditions like cardiovascular diseases are managed, offering doctors invaluable information without subjecting patients to invasive procedures.

Moreover, the applications extend beyond the biomedical sector. The ability to receive sudden bursts of wireless energy while harvesting the power generated by flowing liquids can offer significant benefits in various industries. Dr. Ahnood suggests that many areas could benefit from such technology, particularly sectors that require sensors in hard-to-reach locations. The inert nature of diamonds, combined with the robust properties of titanium, makes this implantable device an ideal candidate for implementation in diverse environments beyond human health.

Beyond its utility in medical devices, the multifunctional nature of the diamond–titanium device is indicative of a larger trend in engineering: the advancement toward adaptive materials that can serve multiple purposes. Conventional biomedical implants often have a singular focus, providing structural support but lacking interactive capabilities. As materials science continues to advance, hybrids like diamond-titanium illustrate how materials can be developed to possess a new realm of functionalities, making them active components rather than simple support structures.

The significance of this research is underscored by the implications it holds for the future of implant technology, which has been historically limited by battery longevity. As implants become integrated with more sophisticated monitoring systems, the need for reliable power sources will only increase. This innovative diamond–titanium prototype presents a compelling solution, suggesting a future where medical technology is seamless, requiring less frequent surgical interventions and offering prolonged device lifespan.

Professor Kate Fox, one of the key researchers involved, further illustrates the potential of the diamond–titanium device. Fox notes that the device’s capacity to be molded into intricate shapes tailored to individual patients is a game-changer. This flexibility not only enhances the functionality of the implants but also improves the compatibility and comfort for patients—a crucial factor in their acceptance and overall success in clinical settings.

The team acknowledges that while their findings are promising, further research is necessary before these devices can be implemented in real-world applications. The next steps involve additional testing and collaboration with industry partners to refine the technology and facilitate its transition from lab to practice. The necessity for rigorous evaluation is underscored by the need to ensure the safety and efficacy of these devices in human bodies, particularly given their novel capability to harness energy in ways that traditional materials cannot.

With the research findings published in the reputable journal Advanced Functional Materials, the scientific community has taken note of this innovation. This represents not only an advancement in material science but also a significant leap forward in how we understand and develop implantable technologies. The implications of the diamond–titanium implant extend far beyond medical applications; they challenge existing preconceptions of what is possible in engineered devices, merging capabilities that have historically existed in isolation into one cohesive, powerful technology.

As research progresses, the landscape of medical implants is set to transform dramatically. By enabling smart and sustainable devices that run efficiently without the need for batteries, the diamond-titanium implant could provide substantial patient benefits. Furthermore, the dual ability to scavenge energy and wirelessly receive power could lead to an array of innovations in other fields, paving the way for a future where energy independence is not only conceivable but realized.

Clinical trials and real-world testing will be pivotal in validating the efficacy of the new device. Meanwhile, the research team at RMIT University is actively seeking partnerships with other institutions and industries, aspiring to accelerate the commercial development of this promising technology. This collaboration could usher in new approaches that leverage the special properties of the diamond-titanium device, ultimately leading to a consistent source of power for a variety of applications, significantly enhancing the functionality and longevity of essential medical implants.

The journey of the diamond-titanium implant from research to practical application is a testament to the wonder of modern engineering. The future of medicine relies on innovative solutions that prioritize patient well-being, safety, and quality of life. With the introduction of this advanced technology, we stand on the brink of a medical revolution, one that will redefine the capabilities of implantable devices and the quality of care patients receive.

Subject of Research:
Article Title: Additively manufactured diamond for energy scavenging and wireless power transfer in implantable devices
News Publication Date: 14-Aug-2025
Web References:
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Image Credits: Shu Shu Zheng, RMIT University

Keywords

Biomedical engineering, 3D printing, implant technology, energy harvesting, device innovation

BOSTON – April 1, 2025 – Most people donning virtual reality (VR) goggles are seeking the thrill of being immersed in a fictitious video game world. But some are donning them for an entirely different experience: to help researchers identify those most at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. 

“We know that early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias can have a significant impact on the quality of life of the affected persons, through deployment of lifestyle changes and medications that can slow down disease progression,” says Manu Madhav, a neuroscientist at the University of British Columbia. “However, diagnosis has to be done through collecting biomarkers that are expensive and invasive and thus require sufficient indication of functional impairment.” This leaves opportunity for non-invasive behavioral and cognitive assessments that can give clinicians another tool for early diagnosis – and that’s where VR comes into play.

As will be presented today at the annual conference of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS) in Boston, Mass., cognitive neuroscientists are increasingly turning to VR technology to develop innovative ways to assess cognitive decline. Their work builds off past research on the role of spatial memory in Alzheimer’s disease but takes the traditional 2-D tasks and transforms them into high-tech, 3-D immersive experiences. New data is finding significant age-related and disease-related differences in how individuals can navigate and locate objects within a VR space, in some cases linking cognitive impairments to build up of Alzheimer’s proteins in the brain.

Exploring spatial memory and navigation

About 1 in 13 people between the ages of 65 and 84 will develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institute on Aging, and that number is projected to rise as life expectancy increases. But for cognitive neuroscientist Tammy Tran, studying memory and Alzheimer’s disease is about more than statistics. Like so many people, she has had loved ones develop memory disorders, and after reading Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat as a teenager, her fascination with memory really took off.

“Episodic memory is so fascinating to me because your experiences and memories shape and define you as an individual,” says Tran of Stanford University, who is chairing a symposium on VR and memory at the CNS meeting. “What happens when you forget and lose those experiences?” 

Tran will be presenting new, pre-press work, led by Hadi Hosseini (Stanford), that shows how VR-based memory assessments can be used in combination with biofluid biomarkers of Alzheimer’s to predict who might be at risk of developing the disease. Working with young adults, clinically unimpaired older adults, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (often a precursor to Alzheimer’s), her team asked participants to remember the location of different objects, such as a TV remote or glasses, within a VR living room. They were also asked to recreate the living room environment in a later task. 

“We found decreased object location memory, as well as decreased precision for the object location memory, between young adults and older adults and unimpaired participants and those with mild cognitive impairment,” she says.

To better contextualize these assessments, they worked with neurologists to collect Alzheimer’s disease biofluid biomarkers, specifically plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 and pTau217 from the older adult participants. “We found that pTau217 predicted both object location memory and location precision performance across our sample,” Tran says. “These findings indicate that across both clinically unimpaired older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment, presence of Alzheimer’s proteins significantly impacts memory performance.” 

This work is consistent with an emerging research that indicates that the presence of Alzheimer’s proteins impact memory function in subtle but detectable ways before the onset of clinical symptoms. Linking these Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers to cognitive function using immersive VR is something that would have been unimaginable even 5 years ago, Tran says. That’s because of research made possible by NIH funding, as well as the work of advocacy of organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association, that has transformed diagnosis of the disease – moving from post-mortem biomarker analysis, to imaging, and then cerebrospinal fluid, biomarkers, to collecting proteins from blood plasma.

The work is also exciting in how it has transformed an entertainment technology for clinical uses. “I’ve been working in the Alzheimer’s field for about 10 years, and I have never seen such excitement from participants when they’re doing an experiment,” Tran says. “For many people, this is their first experience with immersive virtual reality but since the movement is meant to mimic real-life, it is remarkably easy for them to pick up an item, walk around the room, and interact with the virtual world.”

The innovative use of VR technology in cognitive neuroscience is what attracted Manu Madhav to the research. An engineer and roboticist by training, he was fascinated by the parallels between the way robots process and integrate sensory information, and the way human brains evolved to do the same. After working on spatial navigation in rodents, he had the opportunity to collaborate with a center for Alzheimer’s disease to develop VR methods for measuring spatial navigation impairments in Alzheimer’s patients. 

“Engineering VR to be comfortable and intuitive for older participants has been the greatest challenge,” he says. “We managed to find small but significant improvements that nevertheless have made it possible to place older participants in an immersive VR environment for over an hour with minimal concerns of nausea or disorientation.” These VR systems integrate sensors for head and eye tracking, as well as controllers that can allow for rich and expressive input. 

Madhav’s team’s work is now in the early phase, working with healthy older adults and young adults but has already shown promise. They asked participants to navigate a series of corridors in a VR space while keeping track of their starting location and the locations of periodically hidden landmarks. 

“We have found that healthy younger and older adults differ in their navigational abilities, setting the stage for our recruitment of participants with early Alzheimer’s disease scheduled to begin this year,” he explains. “We expect that the presence of different complexity levels across trials will amplify differences between younger and older participants, and between older participants and those diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease.”

Madhav sees VR as an exciting tool not only for understanding and diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease but also for exploring other cognitive questions and disorders. “The recent, unprecedented increase in accessibility to VR systems should allow for cognitive neuroscience labs with comparatively less expertise to jump into the space and leverage VR to answer complex cognitive questions that require immersion and multimodal feedback.”

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The symposium “Harnessing virtual reality to study memory and spatial navigation across the lifespan” is taking place at 1:30pmEDT on Tuesday. April 1, as part of the CNS 2025 annual meeting from March 29-April 1, in Boston.

CNS is committed to the development of mind and brain research aimed at investigating the psychological, computational, and neuroscientific bases of cognition. Since its founding in 1994, the Society has been dedicated to bringing its 2,000 members worldwide the latest research to facilitate public, professional, and scientific discourse.

Meeting

32nd Meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society