There is currently no practical way to extract energy from the lowest quantum state of a system, the zero-point energy. A thought experiment is proposed here to define the principles of a current generator that would extract energy from this state. To improve the clarity of the concept, an open hardware prototype is also discussed. This thought experiment may help better understand the quantum fluctuations, the practical limitations involved in extracting zero-point energy, and the interaction of virtual particles with matter. If the concept has any practical applications, there are implications to have an alternative energy source based on matter/anti-matter interactions. Beyond the ideas discussed here, there are charged particles in most places in the universe (plasma, solar winds, cosmic rays), and the concept discussed here can be applied to measure the flux of particles in these environments.