The abstract reproduced below has been accepted for the poster presentation sessions at the International Conference on Thermoelectrics at Caen, France, July 1-5 2018.

This presentation will continue the theme established with the poster “Frogs’ Legs, Thermoelectricity, and Hans Christian Oersted”, which appeared at ICT2017 in Pasadena, California, last year.

“This poster presentation describes some recent research efforts in establishing the thermoelectric characteristics of materials intended for use in bio-compatible applications. In particular it focuses on the requirement to ensure that materials and devices implanted in the human body do not give rise to any unforeseen thermoelectric effects, such as unintended levels of thermoelectric eddy current, which may have an adverse effect on surrounding tissue and organs.

In recent years medical science has seen a rapid increase in the range of materials and devices used for monitoring, regulating and enhancing natural biological functions. For instance, by using advanced electromagnetic measuring techniques it has become possible to monitor human neurological activity extremely accurately and in great detail. It is recognised also that similar techniques could now also be applied to monitor the size of any thermoelectric effect arising from bio-materials in common use, and for physically detecting any influence that they may have on natural biological tissue in their immediate vicinity.

Areas where due diligence is required are identified, not only in the development of new bio-metric devices and materials, but also where long-established clinical practices can be re-evaluated and brought up-to-date with respect to the bio-compatibility of the materials that they use.

In general, the principal is established that with the continual introduction of new technologies and capabilities which afford us the opportunity to re-asses and re-verify the benefits of both new and established medical practices, then the field of medical science bears a responsibility to act on any such opportunity to the full.”

The PDF document of the abstract is also attached here.

Keith P Walsh