IMPLANTABLE FUEL CELL

• US 3,861,397 A
• Filed: 12/04/1972
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerhard Richter, Raghavendra Rao
• Original Assignee: Gerhard Richter, Raghavendra Rao
• Inventors: Richter, Gerhard, Rao, Raghavendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/311,956
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419R,419B,1R 136/86F,86DD,86D,86R,86E
• US Class Current: 607/35
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1009 with one of the reactants being liquid, solid or liquid-charged H01M8/12 takes precedence
• 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 implantable fuel cell is used particularly for the operation of heart beat actuators, artificial hearts or the like. As its operating means are used an oxydisable body substance, preferably glucose, as well as oxygen from the body fluids. The fuel cell is particularly characterized in that a cell fuel electrode as well as one or several selective oxygen electrodes are spatially so arranged with respect to each other that the operational mixture diffused in operational condition from the body liquid into the cell, is guided substantially initially to the corresponding oxygen electrodes and thereupon to the fuel electrode.

Claims

1. AN IMPLANTABLE FUEL CELL, PARTICULARLY FOR OPERATING HEART BEAT ACTUATORS, ARTIFICIAL HEARTS AND THE LIKE, SAID CELL IN OPER TIONAL CONDITION UTILIZING AN OXIDIZABLE BODY SUBSTANCE, PREFERABLY GLUCOSE AS FUEL, AND OXYGEN FROM THE BODY FLUIDS, SAID CELL COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE IMPERMEABLE TO BODY FLUIDS, A FUEL ELECTRODE MEANS, AT LEAST ONE POROUS OXYGEN ELECTRODE MEANS SELECTIVELY REACTING OXYGEN IN THE PRESENCE OF FUEL, SAID ELECTRODE MEANS LOCATED IN SAID ENCLOSURE AND INCLUDING ASSOCI ATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS FOR DERIVING ELECTRICAL ENEGRY FROM THE CELL UNDER THE CONDITION OF OPERATION, HYDROPHILIC MEANS WHICH ARE NON-PERMEABLE TO PROTEINOUS SUBSTANCE, BLOOD CORPUSCLES, ETC., SPACING SAID ELECTRODE MEANS FROM EACH OTHER AND SAID ENCLOSURE AND MEANS IN SAID ENCLOSURE FOR GUIDING THE DIFFUSING OPERATIONAL MIXTURE OF FUEL AND OXYGEN FIRST TO SAID SELECTIVE OXYGEN ELECTRODE MEANS AND THERE THROUGH TO SAID FUEL ELECTRODE MEANS.

2. A fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, wherein said oxygen electrode means is between said fuel electrode and said guiding means.

3. A fuel cell in accordance with claim 2, said fuel electrode means being substantially large and flat and having a surface facing said at least one selective oxygen electrode means permeable to fuel, tHe other surface of said fuel electrode means facing said enclosure, said enclosure comprising a cover of a material being impenetrable to the operational mixture of fuel and oxygen and consisting, for example, of plexiglass.

4. A fuel cell in accordance with claim 2, said at least one oxygen electrode mean comprising two selective oxygen electrode means permeable to fuel, said fuel electrode means being substantially large and flat and having both surfaces facing said oxygen electrode means.

5. A fuel cell in accordance with claim 2, said enclosure comprising a cell casing containing said electrode means, said casing itself, for example, of plexiglass, being impenetrable to the operational mixture of fuel and oxygen said guiding means comprising at least one opening for the operational mixture, said oxygen electrode means being located in the interior of said casing between said opening and said fuel electrode means so that said oxygen electrode means shields said fuel electrode means from said opening of said casing.

6. A fuel cell in accordance with claim 1, wherein said fuel electrode means consists of a platinum screen and platinum black as catalyst deposited on said platinum screen, and wherein said selective oxygen electrode means is a noble metal screen, such as gold or silver, and an activated carbon caralyst bonded and supported on said noble metal screen, and wherein said hydrophilic material is a weak acid cation exchanger, for example, a methacrylic acid ion exchanger, having a buffer capacity ranging between pH5 and pH8, said cation exchanger surrounding said fuel electrode means and oxygen electrode means.