Communication System with Enhanced Partial Power and Method of Manufacturing Same

• US 20120116188A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Biomedical, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Frank, Jeremy, Hafezi, Hooman, Azevedo, Robert, Duck, Robert, Costello, Benedict, Snyder, Eric, Bjeletich, Peter, Pesic, Iliya
• Granted Patent: US 8,802,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/302
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/125 characterised by the manufacture of electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/162 Capsule shaped sensor housings, e.g. for swallowing or implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6861 Capsules, e.g. for swallowing or implanting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0402 Methods of deposition of the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/06 Electrodes for primary cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/08 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/381 Alkaline or alkaline earth metals elements H01M4/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/582 Halogenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/66 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/34 : Immersion cells, e.g. sea-water cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1056 : Perforating lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 : Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 : Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can also measure the conditions of the environment surrounding the system.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a communication device including a partial power source, the method comprising the steps of:

depositing a layer of adhesion material onto a first location of a support structure, wherein the layer of adhesion material defines a plurality of holes;

depositing a first material onto the layer of adhesion material, wherein the first material adheres to the layer of adhesion material;

depositing a layer of transition material onto a second location of the support structure; and

depositing a second material onto the layer of transition material, wherein the first material and the second material represent a voltage potential difference when the first material and the second material come into contact with a conducting fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer of adhesion material is gold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of roughing the surface of the adhesion material to enhance adhesion property.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the support structure is a silicon based material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the first material includes evaporating deposition using electron beams.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer of adhesion material is less than 100 microns thick.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing a layer of transition material includes the steps of:

depositing the layer of transition material onto the support structure;

heating the support structure with the layer of transition material deposit; and

cleaning an exposed surface of the layer of transition material such that the resulting structure is ready to receive the second material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of cleaning the exposed surface further comprises cleaning with an ion gun.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of spinning a polymer onto the device to provide a protective coating.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of spinning the device to evenly distribute a polymer on the surface of the device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of inserting the device into a non-conducting membrane.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the transitional material is titanium.

12. A method of manufacturing a plurality of communication devices, wherein each device includes a non-conducting membrane and a partial power source device, the method comprising the steps of:

cutting a plurality of openings into a sheet of non-conducting material to produce an assembly membrane sheet, wherein the shape of each opening corresponds to the shape of a framework of the device; and

inserting one partial power source device selected from the plurality of partial power source devices into each opening of the assembly membrane sheet to produce a loaded membrane sheet, wherein each partial power source device is prepared according to a process that includes the step of depositing a layer of transition metal on an opposite surface of a support structure from a surface having an adhesion material.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

depositing a layer of non-reactive material onto the loaded membrane sheet on a side opposite the transition metal to produce an adhesion membrane sheet, wherein the layer of non-reactive material defines a plurality of holes;

depositing a first material onto the adhesion membrane sheet on the side with the adhesive material, wherein the first material adheres to the non-reactive material;

depositing a second material onto the layer of transition metal to produce a partial power device sheet, wherein the first material and the second material represent a voltage potential difference.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of defining a plurality of boundaries on the support structure, wherein each boundary corresponds to circuitry of each device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of depositing a layer of non-reactive material further comprises the step of defining a group of holes, wherein each group of holes is contained within one boundary selected from the plurality of boundaries, such that the position of each hole within the group of holes is within the corresponding boundary.

16. A device comprising a partial power source for communication, wherein the device is prepared by a process comprising the steps of:

depositing a layer of adhesion material onto a first location of a support structure, wherein the layer of adhesion material defines a plurality of holes;

depositing a first material onto the layer of adhesion material, wherein the first material adheres to the layer of adhesion material;

depositing a layer of transition material onto a second location of the support structure;

depositing a second material onto the layer of transition material, wherein the first material and the second material represent a voltage potential difference when the first material and the second material come into contact with a conducting fluid.

18. A device including a partial power source for communication, wherein the device comprises:

a support structure made from a silicon material; and

a CuCl layer deposited on a first location of the support structure using physical vapor deposition.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the physical vapor deposition is achieved through sputter deposition.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the physical vapor deposition is achieved through arc deposition.