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A Smart Knee Implant Using Triboelectric Energy Harvesters, Shahrzad Towfighian, Alwathiqbellah Ibrahim, Manav Jain, Emre Salman, Ryan Willing

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Although the number of total knee replacement (TKR) surgeries is growing rapidly, functionality and pain-reduction outcomes remain unsatisfactory for many patients. Continual monitoring of knee loads after surgery offers the potential to improve surgical procedures and implant designs. The goal of this study is to characterize a triboelectric energy harvester under body loads and to design compatible frontend electronics to digitize the load data. The harvester prototype would be placed between the tibial component and polyethylene bearing of a TKR implant. The harvester generates power from the compressive load. To examine the harvester output and the feasibility of powering a …