Bioelectric battery for implantable device applications

• US 8,709,631 B1
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Jiang, Naixiong, Bornzin, Gene A., Poore, John W., Williams, Sheldon, Yang, Weiqun, Farazi, Taraneh Ghaffari
• Primary Examiner(s): Conley, Helen O
• Application Number:
  US11/737,307
• Time in Patent Office: 2,567 Days
• Field of Search: 429/401, 429/403, 429/405, 429/505, 429/2, 429/94
• US Class Current: 429/94
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/06 with one metallic and one gaseous electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/466 Magnesium based
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/92 Metals of platinum group H01M4/94 , H01M4/9058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A bioelectric battery may be used to power implantable devices. The bioelectric battery may have an anode electrode and a cathode electrode separated by an insulating member comprising a tube having a first end and a second end, wherein said anode is inserted into said first end of said tube and said cathode surrounds said tube such that the tube provides a support for the cathode electrode. The bioelectric battery may also have a membrane surrounding the cathode to reduce tissue encapsulation. Alternatively, an anode electrode, a cathode electrode surrounding the cathode electrode, a permeable membrane surrounding the cathode electrode. An electrolyte is disposed within the permeable membrane and a mesh surrounds the permeable membrane. In an alternative embodiment, a pacemaker housing acts as a cathode electrode for a bioelectric battery and an anode electrode is attached to the housing with an insulative adhesive.

Claims

1. An implantable bioelectric battery, comprising:

an anode electrode;

a cathode electrode substantially surrounding and separated from said anode electrode;

a permeable membrane encapsulating said cathode electrode, wherein said permeable membrane is permeable to oxygen and impermeable to body fluid;

an electrolyte disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, wherein the electrolyte is less corrosive to the anode than body fluid; and

a support substrate substantially surrounding the anode electrode, wherein the cathode electrode comprises a wire, and wherein the cathode electrode wire is coiled around the support substrate.

2. The battery of claim 1 further comprising a mesh surrounding said permeable membrane.

3. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said anode electrode is a magnesium alloy.

4. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said anode electrode is selected from the group consisting of pure magnesium, pure zinc, pure aluminum, a zinc alloy and an aluminum alloy.

5. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is platinum.

6. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is titanium.

7. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said cathode electrode has a coating selected from the group consisting of platinum black, iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide and mixtures thereof.

8. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein said permeable membrane comprises a porous polymer.

9. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 2, wherein said mesh is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and titanium.

10. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises isopropanol.

11. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate.

12. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises sodium citrate dehydrate.

13. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is an isopropanol solution comprising a conductive component selected from the group consisting of sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate and sodium citrate dehydrate.

14. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 1, wherein the permeable membrane comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

15. The battery of claim 1 further comprising a top plate joined to the permeable membrane, wherein the top plate comprises an opening configured to introduce electrolyte into the battery.

16. An implantable bioelectric battery, comprising:

an anode electrode;

a cathode electrode substantially surrounding and separated from said anode electrode;

a permeable membrane encapsulating said cathode electrode, wherein said permeable membrane is permeable to oxygen and impermeable to body fluid and wherein said permeable membrane comprises polytetrafluoroethylene;

an electrolyte disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, wherein the electrolyte is less corrosive to the anode than body fluid; and

a support substrate substantially surrounding the anode electrode, wherein the cathode electrode comprises a wire, and wherein the cathode electrode wire is coiled around the support substrate.

17. The battery of claim 16 wherein the electrolyte comprises an isopropanol solution.

18. The battery of claim 17 wherein the isopropanol solution comprises sodium citrate dehydrate.

19. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 16, wherein said anode electrode is a magnesium alloy.

20. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 16, wherein said anode electrode is selected from the group consisting of pure magnesium, pure zinc, pure aluminum, a zinc alloy and an aluminum alloy.

21. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 16, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is platinum.

22. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 16, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is titanium.

23. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 16, wherein said cathode electrode has a coating selected from the group consisting of platinum black, iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide and mixtures thereof.

24. An implantable bioelectric battery, comprising:

an anode electrode;

a cathode electrode substantially surrounding and separated from said anode electrode;

a permeable membrane encapsulating said cathode electrode, wherein said permeable membrane is permeable to oxygen and impermeable to body fluid, such that there is no direct contact between the cathode and body fluid during operation of the battery;

an electrolyte disposed between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, wherein the electrolyte is not body fluid and is less corrosive to the anode than body fluid; and

a support substrate substantially surrounding the anode electrode, wherein the cathode electrode comprises a wire, and wherein the cathode electrode wire is coiled around the support substrate.

25. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein the electrolyte comprises sodium citrate dehydrate.

26. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein the electrolyte is an isopropanol solution comprising sodium citrate dehydrate.

27. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein the electrolyte is an isopropanol solution comprising sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate.

28. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein said anode electrode is a magnesium alloy.

29. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein said anode electrode is selected from the group consisting of pure magnesium, pure zinc, pure aluminum, a zinc alloy and an aluminum alloy.

30. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is platinum.

31. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein said cathode electrode comprises a cathode electrode material and wherein said cathode electrode material is titanium.

32. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein said cathode electrode has a coating selected from the group consisting of platinum black, iridium oxide, ruthenium oxide and mixtures thereof.

33. The implantable bioelectric battery of claim 24, wherein the permeable membrane comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.