(Press-News.org) With the increasing demand for underwater and implantable medical electronics, a stable and continuous power supply is essential. However, conventional wireless charging methods (such as electromagnetic induction and radio frequency-based charging) used in smartphones and wireless earphones suffer from short transmission distances, low energy transfer efficiency in biological tissues, and electromagnetic interference. To overcome these limitations, researchers are now considering the use of ultrasound as a new wireless power transfer technology. Ultrasound has the advantage of being human-friendly and less absorbed by tissues, allowing for more reliable energy transfer in implantable and skin-adherent devices. As a result, wireless charging technology utilizing ultrasonic energy is emerging as the next generation of power transfer.
A research team led by Dr. Sunghoon Hur of the Electronic and Hybrid Materials Research Center at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and Professor Hyun-Cheol Song of Korea University has developed a biocompatible ultrasonic receiver that maintains its performance even when bent. The receiver overcomes many of the limitations of existing wireless power transmission methods while improving biocompatibility, and is expected to be applied to next-generation wearable and implantable electronic devices. The researchers also demonstrated wireless charging of batteries by receiving ultrasonic waves, which is an important step toward commercializing the technology.
In particular, the researchers dramatically improved the power conversion efficiency compared to conventional ultrasonic receivers by using high-efficiency piezoelectric materials and a unique structural design. By designing a stretchable and biocompatible ultrasonic receiver that conforms closely to the curves of the human body while achieving stable power conversion, they were able to transmit 20 mW of power at a distance of 3 cm underwater and 7 mW at a depth of 3 cm from the skin. This is enough power to continuously power low-power wearable devices or implantable medical devices.
The findings are expected to help accelerate the commercialization of ultrasonic-based wireless charging technology for underwater electronics and implantable medical electronics. In particular, it is expected to provide a new paradigm for providing safe and continuous power to low-power medical devices such as implantable pacemakers, neurostimulators, and wearable sensors. It is also expected to be applied not only to medical devices, but also to underwater drones and marine sensors that require long-term power supply.
"Through this research, we have demonstrated that wireless power transmission technology using ultrasound can be applied practically," said Dr. Sunghoon Hur at KIST. "We plan to conduct further research for miniaturization and commercialization to accelerate the practical application of the technology."
###
KIST was established in 1966 as the first government-funded research institute in Korea. KIST now strives to solve national and social challenges and secure growth engines through leading and innovative research. For more information, please visit KIST’s website at https://www.kist.re.kr/eng/index.do
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im) under the KIST Institutional Program and the Nano-Material Technology Development Project of the National Research Foundation of Korea (RS202400448865). The research was published in the latest issue of Advanced Materials (IF: 27.4, top 1.9% in JCR materials), an international journal in the field of materials, and was selected as the cover story.
END
KIST develops ultrasonic wireless battery charging technology
KIST-Korea University research team develops biocompatible ultrasonic receiver
2025-04-30
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Artificial intelligence tools make education materials more patient friendly
2025-04-30
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools significantly improve the readability of online patient education materials (PEMs), making them more accessible, a new study shows.
Led by researchers at NYU Langone Health, the study focused on the readability of PEMs available on the websites of the American Heart Association (AHA), American Cancer Society (ACS), and American Stroke Association (ASA). According to the researchers, these materials help patients make decisions about their health care but often exceed the recommended reading level of grade ...
Increasing physical activity in middle age may protect against Alzheimer's disease
2025-04-30
An increase in physical activity between the ages of 45 and 65 could help prevent Alzheimer's disease, while inactivity may be detrimental to brain health. This is the main conclusion of a scientific paper published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, which highlights the need to promote physical activity among middle-aged adults. The study is the result of a collaboration between the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation, and the ...
Prevention instead of reaction: Intelligent, networked systems for structural monitoring
2025-04-30
The safety and durability of transport and building infrastructure are in the interests of both operators and users. To maintain the best possible building condition at the lowest possible cost, effective monitoring is required to improve condition assessment. Although there are suitable monitoring systems, they are usually not properly networked, not directly integrated into the building management system and their data is often not usable in the long term due to incomplete documentation and non-standardised evaluation procedures. In the PreMainSHM project, a team at Graz ...
Zoo life boosts object exploration in orangutans
2025-04-30
A new study comparing wild and zoo-housed Sumatran orangutans reveals that life in a zoo significantly alters how orangutans interact with their environment. Researchers analyzed over 12,000 instances of daily exploratory object manipulation (EOM)—the active manipulation and visual inspection of objects associated with learning and problem-solving—across 51 orangutans aged 0.5 to 76 years. The findings show that orangutans living in zoos engage in more frequent, more diverse, and more complex exploration than their wild counterparts.
“Our study shows that orangutans ...
MIT engineers advance toward a fault-tolerant quantum computer
2025-04-30
CAMBRIDGE, MA – In the future, quantum computers could rapidly simulate new materials or help scientists develop faster machine-learning models, opening the door to many new possibilities.
But these applications will only be possible if quantum computers can perform operations extremely quickly, so scientists can make measurements and perform corrections before compounding error rates reduce their accuracy and reliability.
The efficiency of this measurement process, known as readout, relies on the strength of the coupling between photons, which are particles of light that carry quantum information, ...
An enzyme-proof glycan glue for extracellular matrix to ameliorate intervertebral disc degeneration
2025-04-30
As the world’s population ages, intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) has become a major medical issue, causing chronic lower back pain and mobility issues that diminish the quality of life for millions. The study from the University of Macau offers new hope with a novel “sugar glue” designed to repair damaged spinal discs. Led by Professor Chunming Wang, in collaboration with Professor Dong Lei of Nanjing University and supported by Professor Geng Dechun’s team at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. The research introduces a glucomannan-based solution that restores disc health by targeting a key protein, published in Nature Communications, ...
Deepfakes now come with a realistic heartbeat, making them harder to unmask
2025-04-30
Imagine a world where deepfakes have become so good that no detection mechanism can unmask them as imposters. This would be a bonanza for criminals and malignant state actors: for example, these might use deepfakes to slander rival political candidates or frame inconvenient defenders of human rights.
This nightmare scenario isn’t real yet, but for years, methods for creating deepfakes have been locked in a ‘technological arms race’ against detection algorithms. And now, scientists ...
So, our city’s shrinking—Now what?
2025-04-30
Policymakers often overlook the challenges faced by shrinking small and medium-sized cities. Yet, keeping these cities sustainable is crucial for many urban stakeholders. Unfortunately, the methods that have succeeded in large cities cannot be unilaterally applied to combat this issue. This suggests that a research gap on effective urban management in small and medium-sized cities exists.
Dr. Haruka Kato, a junior associate professor at Osaka Metropolitan University, examined the types of municipal expenditures ...
Parents with alcohol-related diagnoses are twice as likely to maltreat children
2025-04-30
A new systematic review has found that parents and other child caregivers who have alcohol-related diagnoses are twice as likely to maltreat children in their care than parents and caregivers with no alcohol-related diagnoses. ‘Alcohol-related diagnoses’ included alcohol-related hospitalisation, alcohol-related service use, or a history of clinically determined alcohol dependence. ‘Child maltreatment’ included physical, psychological, emotional and sexual abuse; neglect; and other types of maltreatment such as harsh parenting.
The study pooled the results from twelve studies of child maltreatment. All were cohort studies in high-income countries: three in ...
Giant croclike carnivore fossils found in the Caribbean
2025-04-30
Imagine a crocodile built like a greyhound — that’s a sebecid. Standing tall, with some species reaching 20 feet in length, they dominated South American landscapes after the extinction of dinosaurs until about 11 million years ago. Or at least, that’s what paleontologists thought, until they began finding strange, fossilized teeth in the Caribbean.
“The first question that we had when these teeth were found in the Dominican Republic and on other islands in the Caribbean was: What are ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk
New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs
MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health
Working together, cells extend their senses
Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking
Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure
Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage
University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change
Measuring the quantum W state
Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging
Funding for training and research in biological complexity
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025
ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research
Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury
Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows
Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior
OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech
Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia
Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults
Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults
Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults
How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars
Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities
Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment
In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation
Microscopes can now watch materials go quantum with liquid helium
[Press-News.org] KIST develops ultrasonic wireless battery charging technologyKIST-Korea University research team develops biocompatible ultrasonic receiver