Implantable, miniaturized microbial fuel cell
First Claim
1. An anode for a microbial fuel cell comprising a substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels therein, wherein said microchannels have a current collecting coating thereon, and said coated microchannels have dimensions so as to provide no substantial impediment to the flow of said microbes therethrough.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A miniaturized microbial fuel cell is described deriving electrical power from the biological activity of microbes, typically the metabolism of glucose by baker'"'"'s yeast. Microfabrication techniques are used to miniaturize the components as well as the overall fuel cell and are capable of integration with other biomedical and implantable devices. Substantial reductions in both the size and the cost of implantable systems are thereby achievable. Electrode structures are used that facilitate electron transfer and power production giving favorable power densities in a miniature fuel cell. In addition, the microbial fuel cell of the present invention extracts glucose or other metabolite(s) from the ambient body fluids as its fuel, thus achieving a renewable, long-term power source for implantable biomedical devices.
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Citations
14 Claims
- 1. An anode for a microbial fuel cell comprising a substrate having a plurality of substantially parallel microchannels therein, wherein said microchannels have a current collecting coating thereon, and said coated microchannels have dimensions so as to provide no substantial impediment to the flow of said microbes therethrough.
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11. A method of fabricating an electrode for a microbial fuel cell comprising:
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a) coating a silicon substrate with low stress silicon nitride; and
,b) etching a plurality of fluid ports in said substrate; and
,c) etching microchannels in said substrate; and
,d) coating said microchannels and said fluid ports with a substantially conformal coating of current collector. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification