Thermo-electric generator, associated implantable device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11469433-B2
Application number	US-201917058521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2019
Priority date	May 24, 2018
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

Thermo-electric generator which is intended to be immersed in a fluid which contains at least one chemical species, comprising two electrodes each having a first end and a second end, the first ends being connected to each other, the generator being configured to generate an electrical voltage between the two ends when a temperature difference is imposed between each first end and the corresponding second end, the temperature difference being such that one end, referred to as the “hot end”, of each electrode has a temperature which is strictly greater than the temperature of the other end. The hot end of at least one electrode comprises a micro-organism or an enzyme which is capable of causing at least one exothermic reaction involving the chemical species.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermo-electric generator intended to be immersed in a fluid containing at least one first chemical species, the thermo-electric generator comprising at least two electrodes, each electrode having a first end and a second end, the first ends being electrically connected to each other, the generator being configured to generate an electric potential difference between the two second ends when a temperature difference is imposed between each first end and the second end of the same electrode, the temperature difference being such that one end, called “hot end”, among the first end and second end of each electrode has a temperature strictly greater than the temperature of the other end, called “cold end”, among the first end and second end of the same electrode,
the hot end of at least one electrode comprising at least one element selected from the group formed by a microorganism and an enzyme, the element being capable of causing at least one exothermic reaction involving the first chemical species,
wherein the thermo-electric generator further comprises a block in contact with the hot end of at least one electrode, the block comprising a matrix, the matrix being formed in particular of a polymer material, the element being in the form of particles encapsulated in the matrix.

2. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 1 , comprising a casing delimiting a chamber housing the two hot ends, the chamber also housing the element, the casing being configured so that at least the first chemical species is able to pass therethrough.

3. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 2 , wherein the casing is formed of a porous material.

4. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 2 , comprising a pump capable of injecting a flow of fluid from outside the casing to inside the chamber.

5. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 2 , wherein the casing is formed of a polymer material.

6. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 3 , wherein the porous material is made of a porous 3D matrix.

7. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 6 , wherein the geometric shape of the matrix is one from among a cube, a cylinder, a slab.

8. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 6 , wherein 70% to 80% of the surface of the 3D matrix is coated with a thermal insulation layer.

9. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 6 , wherein the matrix has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet.

10. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 6 , wherein the 3D matrix comprises microorganisms which form a biofilm inside the 3D matrix.

11. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 6 , wherein the porous matrix is a metal block.

12. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 1 , wherein the element is able to cause a first exothermic reaction and a second exothermic reaction, the first reaction generating at least one product by reaction of the first chemical species, the second reaction being a reaction involving the product of the first reaction.

13. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one element is a microorganism, at least one of the following properties being verified:
the microorganism comprises a yeast, and
the microorganism comprises a bacterium.

14. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 1 , wherein the first chemical species is selected from the group formed by: urea, an alcohol and a sugar.

15. The thermo-electric generator according to claim 14 , wherein at least one species is glucose.

16. An implantable device configured to be implanted in a human or animal body, comprising a thermo-electric generator according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a body fluid of the human or animal body, the first chemical species particularly being glucose.

17. The implantable device according to claim 16 , wherein at least one element comprises an enzyme, the element comprising a glucose oxidase and a catalase.

18. The implantable device according to claim 16 , wherein the implantable device is a pacemaker.

19. A method for generating an electric potential difference, comprising steps of:
providing a thermo-electric generator comprising at least two electrodes, each electrode having a first end and a second end, the first ends being electrically connected to each other, the generator being configured to generate an electric potential difference between the two second ends when a temperature difference is imposed between each first end and the second end of the same electrode, the temperature difference being such that one end called “hot end” among the first end and the second end of each electrode has a temperature strictly greater than the temperature of the other end, called “cold end”, among the first end and the second end of the same electrode, the hot end of at least one electrode comprising at least one element selected from the group formed by a microorganism and an enzyme, the thermo-electric generator-further comprising a block in contact with the hot end of at least one electrode, the block comprising a matrix, the matrix being formed in particular of a polymer material, the element being in the form of particles encapsulated in the matrix,
immersing the thermo-electric generator in a fluid comprising at least one first chemical species,
implementing, by the element, at least one exothermic reaction involving the first chemical species,
onset of a temperature difference between the hot end and the cold end of the electrode comprising the element, and
onset of an electric potential difference between the two second ends.

Assignees

• Univ Grenoble Alpes
• Inst Nat Sante Rech Med
• Centre Hospitalier Univ Grenoble Alpes
• Centre Hospitalier Regional De Grenoble

Inventors

• Zebda Abdelkader
• Cinquin Philippe
• Alcaraz Jean-Pierre
• Martin Donald
• Bakri Aziz
• Khalef Nawel

Classifications

• A61N1/3785 Primary

  generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• A61N1/365

  controlled by a physiological parameter, e.g. heart potential {(evoked response A61N1/371)} · CPC title

• H01M2250/00

  Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system · CPC title

• A61N1/362

  Heart stimulators (heart defibrillators A61N1/39) · CPC title