Microbattery Press-Fit Contact Lens Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional batteries are too large and have low electrical energy density, resulting in significant dead space within battery cells, making them unsuitable for contact lens applications.
Innovation Solution
Advanced battery structures and manufacturing techniques, such as precision robotic assembly and customized industrial robots, are used to create compact, high-energy-density batteries that fit within a contact lens, utilizing precise placement of anode, cathode, and separator layers in a three-terminal, double-cell design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional battery assembly techniques are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but significant dead space remains inside battery cell (only 15% volume efficiency)
Solution Approach 1:
The battery is divided into multiple thin layers (anode, separator, cathode, current collectors) that are stacked together. This segmentation allows precise placement of each layer to minimize dead space while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standardized layer structures
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional wound or pouch battery geometries to a planar stacked architecture. By arranging layers in multiple dimensions within the cell, the design achieves superior space utilization (85% volume efficiency) compared to traditional single-dimension winding approaches
2Volume of moving object
If conventional battery designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but battery size is too large for contact lens applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes key parameters including layer thickness (reducing to micrometer scales), electrode material composition (using high-capacity materials like lithium cobalt oxide), and electrolyte formulation. These parameter optimizations enable dramatically higher energy density in a compact form factor suitable for contact lenses
Solution Approach 2:
The battery employs composite structures combining multiple materials: conductive current collectors, active electrode materials, porous separators, and gel electrolytes. These composite materials provide optimized performance characteristics that achieve high energy density while maintaining small overall dimensions
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional battery designs are used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but electrical energy density is insufficient for wearable applications
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the battery are optimized with locally appropriate materials and structures. For example, electrode thickness, material composition, and porosity are varied across different zones to maximize energy density in specific areas while maintaining overall cell performance and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The battery structure implements nested arrangements where multiple functional layers are stacked within each other (current collectors containing electrodes, electrodes containing active material, separators between electrodes). This nested configuration achieves high energy density by efficiently utilizing every available volume space
Data Source
AI summary
A microbattery uses automated machinery and press-fitting to achieve small sizes. The battery has a case with a width of not more than two mm. The case includes a first terminal and a second terminal. A first electrode is electrically connected to the first terminal of the case. A second electrode includes a conductive lip that makes a press fit contact to the case, whereby the second electrode is electrically connected to the second terminal of the case.