Fascinating piece on LiveScience about R&D being done on nuclear batteries. The batteries get their power from decaying tritium which emits a radioactive gas that is then captured by a silicon wafer, a process (called “betavoltaics”) similar to solar power generation (photovoltaics).
The resulting batteries will be able to last for over a decade, making them ideal for powered implants, such as pacemakers. And you thought leaky silicone breast implants were a problem! Actually tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, is fairly safe and can be as easily contained as current dry-cell chemical batteries. The technology is also promising for use in things like long-range spacecraft and deep sea robotic probes.