Water-activated, ingestible battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9985320-B2
Application number	US-201314397527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2013
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

In one aspect, a water-activated, ingestible battery, comprises a cathode comprising a metal oxide with a decreased amount of toxicity, relative to an amount of toxicity of other metal oxides; an anode comprising a biocompatible, water stable compound, the anode infused with benign cations; a separator between the cathode and the anode; a cathodic lead comprising a first conducting material, the cathodic lead in contact with the cathode; an anodic lead comprising a second conducting material, the anodic lead in contact with the anode; and a cell casing comprising a water-permeable biocompatible polymer, the cathodic lead, and the anodic lead, with the cell casing enclosing the cathode, the anode, and the separator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water-activated, ingestible battery, comprising:
a cathode comprising a metal oxide with a decreased amount of toxicity, relative to an amount of toxicity of other metal oxides;
an anode comprising a biocompatible, water stable compound and an intercalated compound, the anode infused with benign cations;
a separator between the cathode and the anode;
a cathodic lead comprising a first conducting material, the cathodic lead in contact with the cathode;
an anodic lead comprising a second conducting material, the anodic lead in contact with the anode; and
a cell casing comprising a water-permeable biocompatible polymer and further comprising a plurality of reservoirs including a solid electrolyte, the cathodic lead, and the anodic lead, with the cell casing enclosing the cathode, the anode, and the separator;
wherein a time scale of activation of the water-activated, ingestible battery is based on a configuration of the plurality of reservoirs of the cell casing.

2. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises a manganese oxide (MnO2).

3. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises one or more of a porous activated carbon electrode and the intercalated compound, wherein the intercalated compound comprises sodium titanium phosphate.

4. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the benign cations comprise at least one of sodium or potassium.

5. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a fibrous cellulosic material.

6. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first conducting material and the second conducting material comprise at least one of a gold material, a graphite material, a carbon material, or a conducting polymer.

7. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the water-permeable biocompatible polymer comprises at least one of a polyester, an alpha-hydroxy polyester, a poly(L-lactide), a poly(glycolide), a poly(L-lactide) copolymer, a poly(glycolide) copolymer, a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), a polycarbonate, a polyorthoester, a polyanhydride, a polyphosphoester, or a polyamide.

8. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte permeates through the cell casing and diffuses into the cathode and into the anode to activate the water-activated, ingestible battery.

9. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 ,
wherein the electrolyte dissolves and diffuses from one or more of the reservoirs into the cathode and the anode, when hydrated in a natural aqueous environment to activate the water-activated, ingestible battery.

10. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte comprises sodium sulfate.

11. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the cathode, the anode, the separator, the cathodic lead, and the anodic lead are arranged in a planar configuration.

12. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer casing comprising gelatin in a capsule form, the outer casing enclosing the cathode, the anode, the separator, the cathodic lead, the anodic lead, and the cell casing.

13. The water-activated, ingestible battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide comprises a non-toxic metal oxide.

14. A method performed by an orally ingestible battery upon exposure of the orally ingestible battery to an aqueous environment, the orally ingestible battery including an outer gelatin casing, a cathode, an anode, an electrode lead for each of the cathode and anode, and a cell casing enclosing at least the cathode and anode and comprising a water-permeable biocompatible polymer including a plurality of reservoirs each including a solid electrolyte, the method comprising:
dissolution of the outer gel casing upon exposure to an aqueous environment,
following the dissolution of the outer gelatin casing of the orally ingestible battery,
diffusing, at a diffusion rate that causes the orally ingestible battery to activate at a predetermined location in an organism, the electrolyte into the anode and the cathode of the orally ingestible battery, the diffusion rate being based on a tortuosity of a water-permeable biocompatible polymer and a geometry of the water-permeable biocompatible polymer of the orally ingestible battery, and wherein the diffusion rate is further based on a configuration of the plurality of reservoirs of the cell casing;
activating, based on diffusion of the electrolyte, the orally ingestible battery;
following activation, delivering a current across the electrode leads of the orally ingestible battery; and
ceasing to deliver the current across the electrode leads after a predetermined time;
wherein the orally ingestible battery is configured to breakdown following a cease in delivery of the current; and
wherein the cathode comprises a metal oxide with a decreased amount of toxicity, relative to an amount of toxicity of other metal oxides to promote safe oral ingestion of the orally ingestible battery by the organism.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
causing, based on activation of the orally ingestible battery, a powering of a medical device that is implanted in the organism that ingests the orally ingestible battery.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the water-permeable biocompatible polymer comprises at least one of a polyester, an alpha-hydroxy polyester, a poly(L-lactide), a poly(glycolide), a poly(L-lactide) copolymer, a poly(glycolide) copolymer, a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), a polycarbonate, a polyorthoester, a polyanhydride, a polyphosphoester, or a polyamide.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the anode comprises one or more of a porous activated carbon electrode or an intercalated sodium titanium phosphate material.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the cathode comprises a manganese oxide (MnO2).

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrode leads each comprise at least one of a gold material, a graphite material, a carbon material, or a conducting polymer.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
dissolving the electrolyte included in each of the plurality of reservoirs within the cell casing before activating the orally ingestible battery.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
passing the electrolyte through the cell casing before activating the orally ingestible battery.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrolyte comprises sodium sulfate.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein delivering the current across the electrode leads comprises:
migrating sodium cations infused in the anode from the anode to the cathode.

24. A water-activated, ingestible battery, comprising:
a cathode comprising a lambda manganese oxide;
an anode comprising a porous activated carbon electrode and an intercalated sodium-titanium phosphate compound, the anode infused with sodium cations;
a separator between the anode and the cathode, the separator comprising a fibrous cellulosic material;
a cathodic lead comprising a gold material, the cathodic lead in contact with the cathode;
an anodic lead comprising a gold material, the anodic lead in contact with the anode;
a cell casing comprising an alpha-hydroxy polyester, the cathodic lead, the anodic lead, and the cell casing enclosing the cathode, the anode, and the separator;
an electr

Assignees

• Univ Carnegie Mellon

Inventors

• Bettinger Christopher J
• Whitacre Jay

Classifications

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/583

  Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx · CPC title

• H01M6/30

  Deferred-action cells · CPC title

• H01M4/50

  of manganese · CPC title