据欧洲新闻电视台14日报道，意大利技术研究院（Italian Institute of Technology）的研究人员开发出了可食用的可充电电池（edible and rechargeable battery），由我们日常饮食中常见的材料制成。这项创新技术有望在医疗诊断、食品质量监测和可食用软机器人等领域发挥作用。↓

 

欧洲新闻电视台：意大利科学家开发了杏仁制成的可食用电池，用于可消化的医疗设备

Researchers at the Italian Institute of Technology have created a prototype of an edible and rechargeable battery, made entirely from food products.

“该设备的核心是由两个电极组成。为了让它生效，我们使用了两种材料、两种分子。电池阳极（anode）使用的是核黄素，这是一种在杏仁中可以找到的维生素；阴极（cathode）用的是槲皮素，它是一种食品添加剂，可以在山柑中找到，”该项目的研究员马里奥·凯洛尼（Mario Caironi）解释说。
 

"The core of the device is represented by a couple of electrodes. To have it working we are using two materials, two molecules. For the anode, we are using riboflavin which is a vitamin we can find in almonds. And for the cathode we are using quercetin. It’s sold as a food supplement and can be found in capers,” explained Mario Caironi, the coordinator of the project.
 

研究人员随后使用活性炭（activated charcoal）与一种水基电解质（activated charcoal）一起增强了这种电池的导电性（electrical conductivity）。电池的隔板(每个电池中防止短路的配件)则用海苔（nori seaweed）制成。电极则用蜂蜡包裹，两个食品级金箔（糕点厨师使用的箔）触点放置在纤维素衍生的支架上。
 

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The researchers then used activated charcoal to increase electrical conductivity, while the electrolyte was water-based. The separator (something needed in every battery to avoid short circuits), was made from nori seaweed. Then, electrodes were encapsulated in beeswax from which two food-grade gold contacts (the foil used by pastry chefs) on a cellulose derived support come out.
 

据报道，虽然生物传感器、相机和药物输送系统等可吞咽的医用设备已经存在，但通常不能被人体消化。因此，如果在消化过程中出现并发症，可能需要手术干预来移除这些装置。

Ingestible devices like biosensors, cameras, and drug delivery systems already exist but typically cannot be digested by the human body. Therefore, if complications arise during the digestion process, surgical intervention can be required to remove the device.

而这款由杏仁、刺山柑、活性炭、海藻、金叶和蜂蜡制成的电池，可以完全被人体消化，因此不会造成任何健康风险。

The advantage of this gadget made from almonds, capers, activated charcoal, seaweed, gold leaf and beeswax, is that it can be digested completely without any health risks.

 

该团队的研究结果显示，他们的概念验证电池能产生0.65伏的电压，对人体而言足够低，是安全的。这一可食用电池可以提供持续12分钟的48微安电流，或持续一个多小时的几微安电流。这样的供电量，能够为可食用胶囊模块和其他胃肠手术替代产品等小型电子设备提供足够能量。
 

The battery cell operates at 0.65 V, a voltage that the researchers say is “low enough not to create problems in the human body when ingested”. It can reportedly provide current of 48 μA for 12 minutes, or a few microamps for more than an hour, something they claim is enough to supply power to small electronic devices, such as low-power LEDs, for a limited time.
 

除了医疗设备之外，这款电池未来的潜在用途还包括食品质量检测和可食用软机器人等领域。“考虑到这些电池的安全水平，它们还可以用于吞食风险较高的儿童玩具中，”研发人员表示。
 

Other potential applications aside from health devices could include food quality monitoring and edible soft robotics.
 

“Given the level of safety of these batteries, they could be used in children toys, where there is a high risk of ingestion.”
 

该团队目前正在努力提高电池容量，并将设备缩小到药丸大小的容器中，以便于吞咽。
 

The team is now working to boost capacity as well as shrink the device into a pill-sized container that would be easier to swallow.
 

综合来源：欧洲新闻电视台，参考消息，路透社