Researchers have created a new type of miniature pump
activated by body heat that could be used in drug-delivery patches powered by
fermentation.
The micropump contains Baker's yeast and sugar in a small
chamber. When water is added and the patch is placed on the skin, the body heat
and the added water causes the yeast and sugar to ferment, generating a small
amount of carbon dioxide gas. The gas pushes against a membrane and has been
shown to continually pump for several hours, said Babak Ziaie, a Purdue
University professor of electrical and computer engineering and biomedical
engineering.