Compact Electrochemical Power Source for Implantable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery designs for remote implantable medical devices are limited by size constraints, requiring batteries smaller than 1 cubic centimeter to fit in confined body areas, while maintaining sufficient power and capacity, which is challenging with existing thin film technology that often necessitates thick layers or stacking batteries, complicating cylindrical shapes.
Innovation Solution
An electrochemical power source with a housing containing an anode, cathode, and electrolyte, designed to have a displacement volume of less than 0.024 cubic centimeters, optimized for remote implantable medical devices, including rechargeable options, with shapes that reduce hydrodynamic drag, turbulence, and fluid sheer stress, and compatible with efficient manufacturing methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the battery size is reduced to fit confined implantation areas, then the device can be implanted in remote body locations, but the power capacity and energy supply are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the battery system by transitioning from conventional lithium-ion chemistry to lithium-air chemistry, which provides significantly higher energy density. The battery operates at different states of charge (0-3.0V vs 0-1.5V) and uses different electrode materials (carbon cathode with electrolyte bridge vs conventional lithium cobalt oxide), enabling compact size while maintaining adequate power capacity for remote implantation
2Volume of moving object
If thin film battery technology is used to reduce battery size, then the battery can be made smaller, but thick layers or stacking is required which complicates cylindrical shape formation
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is segmented into distinct functional components: a first electrode (anode), a second electrode (cathode), and an electrolyte bridge that physically separates the electrodes. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the formation of cylindrical shapes, as the electrolyte bridge acts as a natural spacer and structural element rather than requiring complex stacking arrangements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third dimension to the battery structure by using an electrolyte bridge that extends between electrodes in a spatial arrangement. This dimensional approach allows the battery to achieve its volume reduction through optimized spatial configuration rather than requiring thick film layers or complex multi-layer stacking, enabling simple cylindrical geometry
3Volume of moving object
If the battery displacement volume is reduced below 0.024 cubic centimeters, then the device profile is improved for remote implantation, but manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery employs thin film electrodes and a flexible electrolyte bridge structure that can be manufactured using deposition techniques. The electrolyte bridge serves as both a functional component and a structural template, defining the spatial relationships between electrodes without requiring high-precision assembly. This approach achieves sub-0.024 cubic centimeter volume while maintaining manufacturability through the self-aligning nature of the thin film and bridge structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a compact, efficient power source that meets the power demands of remote medical devices, reduces tissue damage during implantation, and improves fluid flow, enabling wider implantation locations with reduced invasiveness and improved device performance.
Implementation Method 1
The power source includes at least one anode, at least one cathode, and an electrolyte within the housing. The electrochemical power source has a displacement volume of below 0.024 cubic centimeters and is adapted to provide electrical current used to operate the device.
Data Source
AI summary
An example includes apparatus including a non-thin-film battery, that can include an implantable housing, electronics disposed in the implantable housing, and a battery disposed in the implantable housing, the battery comprising: a plurality of cells electrically connected to one another, with at least one cell including a stack including at least one substantially planar anode having a thickness greater than 1 micrometer and at least one substantially planar cathode having a thickness greater than 1 micrometer, and a cell housing enclosing the stack of substantially planar anodes and cathodes and displacing less than approximately 0.024 cubic centimeters, wherein the plurality of cells are interconnected in at least one of series and parallel, and terminals interconnecting the battery and the electronics.