Device for an electrochemical cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018241048-A1
Application number	US-201615756074-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for an electrochemical cell, comprising a first layer of substrate material having a plurality of first hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said first hydrophilic areas, the first layer of substrate material comprising at least two first electrodes made on at least two first hydrophilic areas; a second layer of substrate material having a plurality of second hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said second hydrophilic areas, the second layer of substrate material comprising at least two second electrodes made on at least two second hydrophilic areas; and one or more electrical conductors connected to at least two of said first electrodes. The first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are positioned on top of one another such that the at least two first electrodes are aligned with the at least two second electrodes in order to form at least two electrochemical cells for producing voltage when the at least two hydrophilic areas are contacted with an aqueous liquid.

First claim

1 . A device for an electrochemical cell, comprising:
a first layer of substrate material having a plurality of first hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said first hydrophilic areas, the first layer of substrate material comprising at least two first electrodes made on at least two first hydrophilic areas; a second layer of substrate material having a plurality of second hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said second hydrophilic areas, the second layer of substrate material comprising at least two second electrodes made on at least two second hydrophilic areas; one or more electrical conductors connected to at least two of said first electrodes; and wherein the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are positioned on top of one another such that the at least two first electrodes are aligned with the at least two second electrodes in order to form at least two electrochemical cells for producing voltage when the at least two hydrophilic areas are contacted with an aqueous liquid.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are made of the same substrate material.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are different areas of a single substrate.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophilic areas of the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material face each other and the first electrodes and the second electrodes are aligned to form pairs of electrodes.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes comprise a layer of electrode material at least partially absorbed within the first layer of substrate material through a first surface of the substrate material, and the first layer of substrate material comprises a separator layer between the layer of electrode material and a second surface of the substrate material opposite to the first surface of the substrate material.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second electrodes comprise a layer of electrode material at least partially absorbed within the second layer of substrate material through a first surface of the substrate material, and the first layer of substrate material comprises a separator layer between the layer of electrode material and a second surface of the substrate material opposite to the first surface of the substrate material.

7 . The device according to claim 5 , wherein the separator layer has a thickness d of 10-200 μm, such as 20-100 μm.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third layer of substrate material positioned on top of the first or second layers of substrate material, wherein the third layer of substrate material is optionally a third area of the same single substrate, said third layer having at least one third hydrophilic areas and at least one third hydrophobic area, whereby one or more third hydrophilic areas is aligned with one or more first and second hydrophilic areas.

9 . The device according to claim 8 , wherein the third layer of substrate forms a liquid flow guidance structure comprised of third hydrophilic areas and third hydrophobic areas.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth layer of substrate material positioned beneath the first or second layers of substrate material, wherein the fourth layer of substrate material is optionally a fourth area of the same single substrate.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes are anodes or cathodes and the second electrodes are respectively cathodes or anodes.

12 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first electrodes comprise both anodes and cathodes and the second electrodes comprise respectively cathodes and anodes aligned to form pairs of first electrode anodes and first electrode cathodes as well as pairs of second electrode anodes and second electrode cathodes.

13 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is selected from the group of porous substrates consisting of textiles, such as, for example cotton, viscose and polyamide, non-woven materials such as, for example, knitted fabrics and netting fabrics, paper and paper board, and technical fabrics such as, for example Gore-Tex.

14 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein galvanic cells are formed between a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes when the device is contacted with an aqueous liquid.

15 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the galvanic cells are connected in series or in parallel.

16 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the galvanic cells are connected in series and at least some of the galvanic cells are connected in parallel.

17 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer of substrate material is in direct contact with the second layer of substrate material at least at the locations of the at least two first electrodes and the at least two second electrodes, a portion of the substrate material separating the at least two first electrodes from the at least two second electrodes in the thickness direction of the substrate material.

18 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are arranged to be activated to provide at least two electrochemical cells for producing voltage when the at least two hydrophilic areas are contacted with an aqueous liquid.

19 . The device according to claim 1 , having an inactive state, wherein the device produces substantially no voltage and an active state, wherein the device produces voltage.

20 . The device according to any claim 19 , wherein the device changes from the inactive state to the active state when contacted with the aqueous liquid.

21 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is inactive when the aqueous liquid is absent.

22 . A method of producing a voltage in a device comprising the step of contacting the substrate of the device with an aqueous liquid, and wherein the device comprises:
a first layer of substrate material having a plurality of first hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said first hydrophilic areas, the first layer of substrate material comprising at least two first electrodes made on at least two first hydrophilic areas; a second layer of substrate material having a plurality of second hydrophilic areas of the substrate and at least one hydrophobic area separating said second hydrophilic areas, the second layer of substrate material comprising at least two second electrodes made on at least two second hydrophilic areas; one or more electrical conductors connected to at least two of said first electrodes; and wherein the first layer of substrate material and the second layer of substrate material are positioned on top of one another such that the at least two first electrodes are aligned with the at least two second electrodes in order to form at least two electrochemical cells for producing voltage when the at least two hydrophilic areas are contacted with an aqueous liquid.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the aqueous liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, urine, tears, sa

Assignees

• Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus Vtt Oy

Inventors

• Tuurala Saara
• Hurme Eero
• Vaari Anu

Classifications

• A61N1/30

  Apparatus for iontophoresis, {i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body}, or cataphoresis · CPC title

• A61N1/205

  for promoting a biological process · CPC title

• A61N1/0404

  for external use (A61N1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M6/46

  of flat cells · CPC title

• H01M6/045

  characterised by aqueous electrolyte · CPC title