Scientists Invent Urine Batteries

Singapore scientists said they have invented a urine-activated credit-card sized battery that can be used in test kits. The government-funded Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology said in a statement placed on its Web site that the device was the "perfect power source for cheap, disposable health care test-kits for diseases such as diabetes." Urine is used in tests for diabetes, kidney problems and pregnancy, and the institute said the battery was ideal for such diagnostic kits.

The battery works once urine is added on a chemical-ready filter paper that sets off the cathode which produces about 1.5 volts of electricity. "While researchers around the world race to produce ever smaller and more effective diagnostic biochips that can be mass produced cheaply, they have been unsuccessful in finding a power source that is as small and as cheap to fabricate as the detection technology itself," the statement continued. Singapore is striving to be a regional center for bioengineering.