Self-sustaining leadless intracardiac pacemaker powered by triboelectric nanogenerator

Leadless intracardiac pacemakers (LIP) are a technological breakthrough that offer tremendous benefits to patients, including minimally invasive delivery, improved quality of life, and reduced financial burden. However, limited by its size and capacity, the battery component becomes a major roadblock to further advancing LIP technology toward lifelong, maintenance-free implants without the need for device retrieval or replacement. Here, we present an integrated, nanogenerator-powered LIP with a clinically compatible architecture. The LIP is solely powered by a double-oscillatory triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) that is capable of generating a volumetric power density of 276.6 μW cc ⁻¹ driven by heartbeats. The miniaturized TENG can also fit within the battery compartment of a commercial Medtronic Micra LIP, allowing standard femoral-venous delivery by commercial catheters. When implanted in the heart of a swine model, the device delivers stable, rate-responsive electrical energy in vivo, which reliably supports the cardiac pacing function for heart rates control at physiological levels through harvested energy. Long-term intracardiac implantation further confirmed secure fixation, unaffected cardiac function and minimal tissue reaction of the fully integrated device. This development suggests a clinically compatible path toward self-sustainable intracardiac electronic systems.