IC-Based Rectification Circuit Techniques for Biomedical Energy-Harvesting Applications

Energy harvesting can be achieved through many different mechanisms. Such technology has been drawing researchers’ attention to its practical applications for a decade, as it can be widely applied to countless scenarios. It steals the show in the modern development of the biomedical electronics, especially implantable applications, as it allows the patients to move freely without restriction. To prolong lifetime of the battery inside/outside a patient’s body, the electrical conversion efficiency of the electronic implant is of primary importance in energy harvesting. The conversion can be achieved by a so-called miniaturized rectification circuit (also known as “rectifier”). This study aims to compare different state-of-the-art techniques focusing on the conversion efficiency of the rectification. Particular emphasis is put on semiconductor-based circuits capable of being integrated with tiny chips on the implants.