Biological fuel cell and methods

• US 6,531,239 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Therasense Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Heller, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS, MONIQUE M
• Application Number:
  US09/961,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20020025469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 429/2, 429/43
• US Class Current: 429/401
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/30 Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9008 Organic or organo-metallic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell has an anode and a cathode with anode enzyme disposed on the anode and cathode enzyme is disposed on the cathode. The anode is configured and arranged to electrooxidize an anode reductant in the presence of the anode enzyme. Likewise, the cathode is configured and arranged to electroreduce a cathode oxidant in the presence of the cathode enzyme. In addition, anode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the anode to transduce a current between the anode and the anode enzyme and cathode redox hydrogel may be disposed on the cathode to transduce a current between the cathode and the cathode enzyme.

Claims

1. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme.

2. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electrolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme, wherein the anode enzyme is an oxidase or a dehydrogenase.

3. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electrolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme and an anode redox polymer including a redox species; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the redox polymer comprises a redox hydrogel.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the redox species is a transition metal compound or complex.

4. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electrolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme, wherein the cathode enzyme comprises a laccase or a peroxidase.

5. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electrolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme and a cathode redox polymer including a redox species.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the redox polymer comprises a redox hydrogel.

9. The fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the redox species is a transition metal compound or complex.

10. A fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode, the anode and cathode separated by a distance;

an anode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the anode, the anode electrolysis layer comprising an anode enzyme and an anode redox polymer including a redox species; and

a cathode electrolysis layer on at least a portion of the cathode, the cathode electrolysis layer comprising a cathode enzyme and a cathode redox polymer including a redox species.

11. The fuel cell according to claim 10, wherein the anode enzyme comprises an oxidase or a dehydrogenase and wherein the cathode enzyme comprises a laccase or a peroxidase.

12. The fuel cell according to claim 10, further comprising a spacer positioned between the anode and the cathode.

13. The fuel cell according to claim 10, wherein the anode redox polymer has a redox potential that is at least +0.1 volts positive of a redox potential of the anode enzyme.

14. The fuel cell according to claim 10, wherein the cathode redox polymer has a redox potential that is at least +0.1 volts positive of a redox potential of the cathode enzyme.

15. A method of powering an electrical device within a human body comprising the steps of:

implanting a fuel cell electrically connected to the device into a human and in contact with a biological fluid comprising glucose and oxygen, the fuel cell comprising;

(a) an anode and an anode enzyme present on the anode;

(b) a cathode and a cathode enzyme present on the cathode;

electrooxidizing glucose at the anode and electroreducing oxygen at the cathode to generate electrical power.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the biological fluid is blood.