APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR IN-VIVO POWER GENERATION

• US 20150064579A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Tarkeshwar Chandrakant Patil
• Original Assignee: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
• Inventors: Patil, Tarkeshwar Chandrakant, P, Ramesh, Duttagupta, Siddhartha Prakash
• Granted Patent: US 10,797,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0015 by using microneedles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

An apparatus for an in-vivo power generation comprises a fuel convertor for converting glucose in a fluid to a hydrogen rich, low carbon fuel such as ethanol or methanol by the action of a bioenzyme on the glucose in the CSF. The fluid can be any one of cerebro spinal fluid, urine and glucose solution. The apparatus further comprises a biofuel cell comprising a cathode chamber and an anode chamber with a membrane assembly sandwiched between them. The membrane assembly comprises a cathode, an anode and a proton exchange membrane. The cathode is coated with an enzyme laccase, which enables extraction of oxygen when the fluid is passed through the cathode chamber. The oxygen from the cathode chamber and the hydrogen in the hydrogen rich fuel from the anode chamber diffuses through the proton exchange membrane and reacts at an ionic level to result in water and electrical power.

Claims

1. An apparatus for in-vivo power generation comprising:

a fuel generator arranged to produce a hydrogen rich fuel from a fluid flowing through the fuel generator; and

a biofuel cell comprising a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a membrane assembly, wherein a first electrode in the membrane assembly comprises a catalyst for enabling extracting oxygen from the fluid, the fluid being configured to flow through the first chamber and wherein the second chamber is arranged to receive the hydrogen rich fuel from the fuel generator,

wherein, when in use, electrical power is generated when the oxygen from the first chamber and hydrogen in the hydrogen rich fuel from the second chamber respectively combine reactively.

2. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fuel generator is a low carbon fuel convertor which is configured to receive the fluid and produce the hydrogen rich fuel by the action of a bioenzyme on glucose in the fluid.

3. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fluid is one of cerebro spinal fluid, glucose solution and urine.

4. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a transdermal glucose reservoir implanted on an epidermal layer of a user of the apparatus, wherein the transdermal glucose reservoir comprises a plurality of micro needles for delivery of glucose solution to the fuel generator and the biofuel cell.

5. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 3, wherein in the hydrogen rich fuel, a quantity of hydrogen is greater than a quantity of carbon.

6. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a cathode.

7. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 6, wherein the catalyst is laccase.

8. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrogen rich fuel is one of ethanol and methanol.

9. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bioenzyme is one of pectine methyl esterase and zymase.

10. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bio fuel cell is a nano scale device.

11. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the membrane is nafion.

12. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 11, wherein a thickness of the membrane is 100 nm.

13. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a packaging for the bio fuel cell, the packaging composed of bio compatible material.

14. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 13, wherein the bio compatible material comprises bio glass, the bio glass coated with polydimethylsiloxane.

15. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a conditioning unit interfacing the biofuel cell and a body implant to condition the power generated by the biofuel cell to be supplied to the body implant.

16. The apparatus for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 15, wherein the conditioning unit comprises a step-up unit, a boost convertor unit and a control unit.

17. A method for in-vivo power generation using an in-vivo power generation apparatus comprising a fuel generator and a bio fuel cell, wherein the biofuel cell comprises a first chamber and a second chamber and a membrane assembly disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, the method comprising:

generating a hydrogen rich fuel from a fluid by passing the fluid through the fuel generator;

extracting oxygen from the fluid by passing the fluid through the first chamber of the bio fuel cell, wherein a catalyst in a first electrode in the membrane assembly enables extracting oxygen from the fluid;

passing the hydrogen rich fuel through the second chamber in the bio fuel cell; and

generating electrical power by a reaction occurring across the membrane assembly in the bio fuel cell, the reaction occurring between the oxygen and hydrogen in the hydrogen rich fuel, from the first chamber and the second chamber respectively.

18. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 17, wherein generating the hydrogen rich fuel from the fluid by passing the fluid through the fuel generator comprises generating the hydrogen rich fuel from the fluid by passing the fluid through a low carbon fuel convertor.

19. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 17, wherein the fluid is one of cerebro spinal fluid, glucose solution and urine.

20. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 19, wherein generating the hydrogen rich fuel from the fluid by passing the fluid through the low carbon fuel convertor comprises utilizing a bioenzyme in the low carbon fuel convertor to act on glucose in the fluid to generate the hydrogen rich fuel.

21. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bioenzyme is one of pectine methyl esterase and zymase.

22. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 20, wherein in the hydrogen rich fuel, a quantity of hydrogen is greater than a quantity of carbon.

23. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 22, wherein the hydrogen rich fuel is one of ethanol and methanol.

24. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 17, wherein the catalyst is laccase.

25. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 17, wherein the membrane is nafion.

26. The method for in-vivo power generation as claimed in claim 25, wherein the thickness of the membrane is 100 nm.