Biological fuel cell and methods

• US 7,811,689 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heller, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener; Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLS, MONIQUE M
• Application Number:
  US11/768,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20070248850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 429/13, 429/50, 429/12, 429/34, 429/40, 429/2, 204/403, 204/153.12, 435/817
• 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 method of generating electrical power in a biological system, comprising:

(a) inserting an anode and a cathode into the biological system comprising oxygen, wherein oxygen is present at the anode and the cathode;

(b) electrooxidizing a biochemical anode reductant on the anode in the presence of an anode enzyme; and

(c) electroreducing a biochemical cathode oxidant on the cathode in the presence of a cathode enzyme.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electrooxiding a biochemical anode reductant on the anode in the presence of an anode enzyme comprises:

(a) electrooxidizing the biochemical anode reductant on the anode in the presence of the anode enzyme and an anode redox polymer present on the anode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein electroreducing a biochemical cathode oxidant on the cathode in the presence of a cathode enzyme comprises:

(a) electroreducing a biochemical cathode oxidant on the cathode in the presence of the cathode enzyme and a cathode redox polymer present on the cathode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting an anode and a cathode into the biological system comprises:

(a) inserting a fuel cell into the biological system, the fuel cell comprising

(i) the anode;

(ii) the anode enzyme disposed on the anode;

(iii) the cathode spaced from the anode; and

(iv) the cathode enzyme disposed on the cathode.

5. A method of generating electrical power in a biological system, comprising:

(a) inserting a fuel cell into the biological system comprising oxygen, the fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode spaced from the anode, an anode enzyme disposed on the anode, a cathode enzyme disposed on the cathode; and

oxygen present at the anode and the cathode;

(b) electrooxidizing a biochemical anode reductant via the anode enzyme; and

(c) electroreducing a biochemical cathode oxidant via the cathode enzyme.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein inserting a fuel cell into the biological system comprises:

(a) inserting a fuel cell into the biological system, the fuel cell further comprising an anode redox polymer disposed on the anode and a cathode redox polymer disposed on the cathode.