Power from the people
17 October 2011 Last updated
at 02:41 GMT
Source: By David CohenTechnology Reporter
2011年10月17 日最後更新在2時41分 （格林威治時間）
The biofuel cell, uses glucose and oxygen
at concentrations found in the body to generate electricity.
生物燃料電池，採用在體內的葡萄糖和氧的濃度以供應發電。
生物燃料電池，採用在體內的葡萄糖和氧的濃度以供應發電。
*所謂的生物燃料電池(Biofuel cell)，就是按照燃料電池的原理，利用生物質能將有機物(如醣 類等)中的化學能直接轉化成電能的一種電化學裝置。
Plugging gadgets into a socket in the wall,
or loading them with batteries - or maybe even unfurling a solar panel - is how
most of us think of getting electricity. But what about plugging them into your
body?
牆上插入插座的小工具，或加載電池 - 或者甚至顯露的一個太陽能電池板 – 大部分是我們想到獲得電力的方式。但是，如果是將插頭插到你的身體呢？
It may sound far fetched, but under the
shadow of the Alps, Dr Serge Cosnier and his team at the Joseph Fourier
University of Grenoble have built a device to do just that. Their gadget,
called a biofuel cell, uses glucose and oxygen at concentrations found in the
body to generate electricity.
這可能聽起來遙不可及，但在阿爾卑斯山的庇蔭下，格勒諾布爾的約瑟夫傅立葉大學的Serge Cosnier博士和他的團隊，已經建立了能夠做到這一點的設備。他們的小工具，被稱為生物燃料電池，採用在體內的葡萄糖和氧的濃度以供應發電。
Some ideas, some technologies may sound
like science fiction, but they are fast becoming science fact. In our
eight-part series we will be exploring ideas that are the future of technology.
一些想法，一些技術聽起來可能像科幻小說，但他們正在迅速成為事實科學。在我們 8個部分組成的系列，我們將探索理念想法，是未來的科技。
They are the first group in the world to
demonstrate their device working while implanted in a living animal. If all
goes to plan, within a decade or two, biofuel cells may be used to power a
range of medical implants, from sensors and drug delivery devices to entire
artificial organs. All you'll need to do to power them up is eat a candy bar,
or drink a coke.
他們是在世界上的第一組，將設備植入一個活體動物以展示自己的工作。如果一切順利，計劃在一，二十年內，生物燃料電池可用於醫療植入物範圍如傳感器和藥物輸送裝置，及整個人工器官等以供應電源。而所有你需要做能提供電源的方式只是去吃了一個糖果條棒或喝一杯可樂。
Biofuel cells could kick-start a revolution
in artificial organs and prosthetics that would transform tens of thousands of
lives every year.
生物燃料電池在人造器官和義肢開始運作可成為一項改革，每年將改變數以萬計的人類生活。
A new range of artificial,
electrically-powered organs are now under development, including hearts,
kidneys, and bladder sphincter, and work has begun on fully-functioning
artificial limbs such as hands, fingers, and even eyes. But they all have one
Achilles heel: they need electricity to run.
目前正在開發的一系列新的人造，電力供電器官，包括心臟，腎臟和膀胱括約肌，以及目前已開始運作的全功能的義肢，如手掌，手指，甚至眼睛目前都是效果不彰，發展不充分的。但他們都有一個致命的弱點：他們需要電力來運作。
Batteries are good enough for implants that
don't need much power, but they run out fast, and when it comes to implants,
that is more than just an inconvenience, it is a fundamental limitation.
對那些若不需很大的電力的植入物來說電池是夠好用的，但他們很快就用完了，當談到植入物，這不僅僅是不方便，這是一個根本性的限制。
Even devices that do not use much power,
such as pacemakers, have a fixed lifespan because they rely on batteries.
They usually need their power packs
replaced 5 years after implantation. One study in the US found that one in five
70 year-olds implanted with a pacemaker, survived for another 20 years - meaning
this group needed around 3 additional operations after the initial implant,
just to replace the battery.
即使不需使用很多電力的設備，如心臟起搏器，因為它們依靠電池，而有固定的使用期限。
通常他們植入5年後需要再替換他們的電源組。美國的一項研究發現，五分之一的70歲年齡組植入心臟起搏器，可再存活 20年- 這意味著初始植入後約需 3個更換電池組額外的操作。
Each operation is accompanied by the risk
of the complications of surgery, not something anybody should have to face if
it is avoidable.
每個操作都伴隨手術病發症的風險，如果它是可以避免的，這不是每個人都應該要面對的。
Other devices such as artificial kidneys,
limbs or eyes, would have such high energy demands that users would have to
change their power source every few weeks to keep them working. It is simply
impractical to use batteries in these devices.
其他設備，如人工腎臟，義肢或眼睛，也都會有這樣高的能源需求，用戶將不得不每隔幾個星期更換自己的電力，以使設備運作。在這些設備中使用的電池，似乎是不切實際的。
That is where biofuel cells come in. Dr
Cosnier and his team are one of a growing number of researchers around the
world developing the technology in an attempt to side-step this inherent
limitation.
Cosnier博士和他的團隊所發展的生物燃料電池是世界各地越來越多的研究人員試圖嘗試開發技術突破這種固有的限制之一。
Bodily fluids
體液
The fuel cells are made from a compressed
push of enzymes and carbon nanotubes.
燃料電池是藉由酶和碳納米管壓縮推擠而製成的。
At heart, biofuel cells are incredibly
simple. They are made of two special electrodes - one is endowed with the
ability to remove electrons from glucose, the other with the ability to donate
electrons to molecules of oxygen and hydrogen, producing water.
心臟的生物燃料電池是難以置信的簡單。他們是由兩個特殊的電極 - 一個幫助從葡萄糖移除電子的能力，另一個則是提供電子給氧和氫分子以製造水。
Pop these electrodes into a solution
containing glucose and oxygen, and one will start to rip electrons off the
glucose and the other will start dumping electrons onto oxygen. Connect the
electrodes to a circuit and they produce a net flow of electrons from one
electrode to the other via the circuit - resulting in an electrical current.
迅速把這些電極放入一含有葡萄糖和氧的溶液，將一個將開始分裂葡萄糖電子而其他將開始拋下電子給氧氣。將電極連接的電路，則它們從一個電極通過另一個電路
產生的電流會製造電子的淨流量。
Glucose and oxygen are both freely
available in the human body, so hypothetically, a biofuel cell could keep
working indefinitely. "A battery consumes the energy stored in it, and
when it's finished, it's finished. A biofuel cell in theory can work without
limits because it consumes substances that come from physiological fluids, and
are constantly being replenished," said Dr Cosnier.
葡萄糖和氧都可在人體內自由獲得，所以假設，生物燃料電池可以持續無限期地工作。“一個電池消耗儲存中的能量並結束時，它就沒用了。生物燃料電池理論上可以沒有限制的工作，因為它消耗的物質，是來自生理體液，並可不斷補充” Cosnier博士說。
A bio fuel cell in theory can work without limits because it consumes substances that come from physiological fluids.”
A bio fuel cell in theory can work without limits because it consumes substances that come from physiological fluids.”
生物燃料電池理論上可以沒有限制的，因為它消耗的物質，是來自生理體液。“
Dr Serge Cosnier Joseph Fourier University
約瑟夫傅立葉大學Serge
Cosnier博士
The idea of powering fuel cells using
glucose and oxygen found in physiological fluids was first suggested in the
1970s, but fell by the wayside because the amount of energy early prototypes
produced was too little to be of practical use.
使用生理體液中的葡萄糖和氧細胞幫助生物燃料電池供電的想法是在20世紀 70年代首次提出，但卻失敗，因為能源早期原型生產的的數量太少而不能實際使用。
However, in the 2002, advances in
biotechnology spurred Itamar Willner, a researcher at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem
然而，在2002年，生物技術的進步促使伊塔馬爾 Willner，一個在耶路撒冷希伯來大學的研究人員，去除黯塵的想法，並給它一個新的眼光看待。
In a paper published in the prestigious
journal Science, he speculated that thanks to advances in biotechnology, the
day would come when devices such as artificial limbs and organs would soon be
powered by biofuel cells that create electricity from bodily fluids.
在著名科學雜誌上發表了一篇論文，他推測，感謝由於生物技術的進步，總有一天像人造肢體和器官這樣的設備將很快由體液供應生物燃料電池電力。
"Since then biofuel cells have
received a huge amount of attention," said Dr Eileen Yu, a researcher at Newcastle University
“自那時起生物燃料電池已收到巨量的關注，在英國紐卡斯爾大學的研究員余艾琳博士說：這位是全英國廣泛多所大學計劃發展生物燃料電池的成員。
Nano technology
奈米技術
The key to the recent breakthroughs has
been our understanding of rather special biological molecules called enzymes.
Enzymes are naturally occurring molecules that speed up chemical reactions.
Researchers studying bio fuel cells have discovered that one particular enzyme,
called glucose oxidase, is extremely good at removing electrons from glucose.
"It is very efficient at generating electrons," said Prof Willner.
一直到最近突破我們的理解的關鍵是比較特殊的生物分子，稱為酶。酵素型生物燃料酵素是天然的，加快化學反應的分子。研究生物燃料電池的研究人員發現，一種特定的酶，叫做葡萄糖氧化酶，從葡萄糖去除電子是非常良好的。“這是非常有效率地產生電子，Willner教授說。”
Spurred by new developments in enzyme
manipulation, and the growth in availability of carbon nanotubes - which are
highly efficient electrical conductors - many groups around the world have
developed bio fuel cells capable of producing electricity.
在酶的操縱推動下的新發展，和碳奈米管的可用性增長 - 這是高效的電導體 - 世界各地的許多團隊已經開發出能夠產生電能的生物燃料電池組。
Dr Cosnier and his team decided to take
things one step further. "In the last 10 years there has been an
exponential increase in research, and some important breakthroughs in enzyme
research," he said.
He decided it was time to make the first
attempt to take the cumulative knowledge of the last decade of research and engineer
it into a device the size of a grain of rice that could generate electricity
while implanted inside a rat.
Cosnier博士和他的團隊決定採取更進一步的步驟。“在過去的10年，研究呈指數增加，酶研究中也有一些重要突破，”他說。
他決定，現在是將過去十年研究累積的知識作進一步嘗試並設計製作一個如米粒大小可以產生電力的設備，植入老鼠體內。
Tiny bio fuel cells sit inside the body
turning glucose and oxygen into power.
微小的生物燃料電池身體放置在身體裡面將葡萄糖和氧氣轉變為電力。
In 2010, they tested their fuel cell in a
rat for 40 days and reported that it worked flawlessly, producing a steady
electrical current throughout, with no noticeable side effects on the rat's
behaviour or physiology.
在2010年，他們在老鼠體內測試燃料電池40天，並報告它運作的完美無瑕，產生一個穩定的
電流遍及貫穿，老鼠的行為或生理上沒有明顯的副作用，。
Their system is surprisingly
straightforward. The electrodes are made by compressing a paste of carbon
nanotubes mixed with glucose oxidase for one electrode, and glucose and
polyphenol oxidase for the other.
他們的系統是出奇的簡單。電極是由壓縮碳奈米管與葡萄糖氧化酶混合為一電極，葡萄糖和多酚氧化酶為另一個混合物。
The electrodes have a platinum wire
inserted in them to carry the current to the circuit. Then the electrodes are
wrapped in a special material that prevents any nanotubes or enzymes from
escaping into the body.
電極插入鉑絲進行電流電路。然後電極組被包裹在一種特殊的物質，以防止任何的碳納米管，或酶進入體內。
Finally, the whole package is wrapped in a
mesh that protects the electrodes from the body's immune system, while still
allowing the free flow of glucose and oxygen to the electrodes. The whole
package is then implanted in the rat.
最後，整個裝置被包裹在一個網狀保護電極免於人體的免疫系統攻擊，同時仍然允許自由流通的葡萄糖和氧到電極。然後將整個裝置包裹植入老鼠體內。
"It is an important step towards
demonstrating the translation of basic research into a practical device,"
said Willner. "It shows the feasibility of making an implantable
package."
Implantation in a rat was a good proof of
concept, said Dr Cosnier, but it had drawbacks. "Rats are so small that
the production of energy is insufficient to power a conventional device."
Next he plans to scale up his fuel cell and
implant it in a cow. "There is more space, so a larger fuel cell can be
implanted, meaning a greater current will be generated."
Dr Cosnier hopes it will be enough to power
a transmitter that will be able to beam out of the cow information about the
device and control sensors inside the animal.
“這是一個對基礎研究轉變成實際設備的展示的重要一步，說：”Willner。“這表明植入裝置包的可行性。”
植入老鼠體內是一個很好的的概念證明，Cosnier博士說，但它的缺點。“老鼠是如此之小，能源生產常規設備供電不足。” conventional device常規設備
接下來，他計劃擴大自己的燃料電池以植入一頭牛體內。“這樣有更多的空間，因此可以植入一個更大的燃料電池，這意味著將產生更大的電流。” scale up按比例提高
Cosnier博士希望將足夠功率的發射機將能傳遞給牛足夠的電力發送有關的設備和控制動物體內傳感器內的信息。
More power
更多電力
Fuel cells are wrapped in a mesh to prevent
the body rejecting them.
燃料電池被包裹在一個網格，以防止被他們的身體拒絕。
There is still a long way to go. Prof
Willner explains that, while the enzyme glucose oxidase has performed
optimally, the efficiency of the electron-donating enzymes could still be dramatically
improved. He is optimistic that breakthroughs will be made.
還有一個很長的路要走路要走。Willner教授解釋，而葡萄糖氧化酶進行優化，電子基酶的效率可能仍然會顯著提高。對於突破他是樂觀其成。
"Based on the current rate of
progress, I am confident we will see exciting developments in the next
decade," said Prof Willner.
Dr Cosnier agrees that there is a lot of
room for improvement. "Today we can generate enough power to supply an
artificial urinary sphincter, or pacemaker. We are already working on a system
that can produce 50 times that amount of power, then we will have enough to
supply much more demanding devices," he said.
“基於目前的進展速度，在未來十年我相信我們將看到令人振奮的發展，Willner教授說。”
Cosnier博士同意有很多改進的空間。“今天，我們可以產生足夠的電力供應人工尿道括約肌，或起搏器，我們已經製造一個可以產生 50倍發電量的系統，那麼我們將有足夠的供應更為苛刻的設備以運作，”他說。
Implants aren't the only place you may find
bio fuel cells in the future. The electronics giant Sony recently announced
that it had created a biofuel cell fuelled with glucose and water that was
capable of powering an MP3 player. "In 10 years time you may see bio fuel
cells in laptops and mobile phones," said Prof Willner.
您可能會發現在未來的生物燃料電池不是只使用於植入體內的地方。電子巨頭索尼公司最近宣布，它已經創造了一個生物燃料電池，藉由葡萄糖和水能夠提供MP3播放器的電力。Willner教授說：“在10年的時間裡，您可能會看到生物燃料電池，運用在筆記本電腦和手機”。
Dr Cosnier points out that bio fuel cells
would be especially useful in places where there is no electricity supply to
recharge your batteries. "If you were in a country without electricity,
and needed to re-charge a bio fuel cell, all you would have to do is add sugar
and water."
Cosnier博士指出，生物燃料電池將在特別有用的地方，如沒有電力供應替換的地方。“如果你在一個無電的地方，你的生物燃料電池需要重新充電，所有你必須做的是添加糖和水。”
參考資料:
20111118 Aircafe Break
參考資料:
20111118 Aircafe Break
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