The researchers developed a tiny soft rechargeable lithium-ion battery for minimally invasive medical devices. (Image credit: Yujia Zhang)
University of Oxford researchers have recently developed a tiny lithium-ion battery made of biocompatible hydrogel droplets. The team believes this light-activated battery can be used for biomedical applications, such as defibrillation and heart tissue pacing.
Biomedical devices designed to interact with biological tissues require batteries made of soft materials for safety and minimally invasive devices. Batteries like these should be biocompatible, biodegradable, and have a high capacity. Additionally, remotely controlling them can help improve functionality and adaption in complex environments. However, it’s difficult to integrate all those features into a single power source.
“Our droplet battery is light-activated, rechargeable, and biodegradable after use. To date, it is the smallest hydrogel lithium-ion battery and has a superior energy density,’ said. ‘We used the droplet battery to power the movement of charged molecules between synthetic cells and to control the beating and defibrillation of mouse hearts. By including magnetic particles to control movement, the battery can also function as a mobile energy carrier,” Dr. Yujia Zhang, the lead researcher for the study and a starting Assistant Professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, says.
The battery is host to various features for biomedical applications, such as powering drug molecule release, heart defibrillation, and micro-robotic energy delivery. (Image credit: Yujia Zhang)
The team used a surfactant-supported assembly to connect the battery to three tiny droplets (10 nanoliters each in volume), relying on soap-like molecules for this task. Two droplets in each end have lithium-ion particles that generate energy.
They say this design enables the biocompatibility and efficiency required to power biomedical devices. This hydrogel battery serves as an excellent power source for small-scale medical devices interacting with biological tissues.
The battery controlled the beating and defibrillation of mouse hearts by powering the movement of charged molecules between synthetic cells. Integrating magnetic particles can also enable it to work like a mobile power source. It was also used as proof-of-concept heart treatments in animal models, showing its potential as a wireless, biodegradable solution to manage cardiac arrhythmias.
The team filed a patent application through Oxford University Innovation. They think this mini hydrogel battery, especially for small-scale robots for bio applications, can pave the way toward new possibilities, such as clinical care.
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