High-Capacity Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery

描述（由申请人提供）：目前，大约有700万美国人使用助听器设备，这些设备通常使用紧凑型锌空气电池。这些电池相对便宜，使用安全，易于处理，但在需要更换之前只能工作大约1周。几乎所有其他现代小工具（手机，电脑等）现在使用可充电锂离子（Li-ion）电池，其具有较低的充电容量并且需要频繁（实际上每天）充电。虽然频繁充电对于小工具用户来说是可接受的，但是其可能对医疗设备的用户造成潜在的生命威胁。频繁更换或再充电助听器电池的需求给用户带来了后勤问题，尤其是老年人，他们构成了助听器用户的最大部分。为了响应美国国立卫生研究院耳聋和其他交流障碍研究所（NIDCD）对助听器设备新可充电电池的要求，物理光学公司（POC）提出开发一种新的高容量锂离子可充电（HCLIR）电池。与锂离子电池的当前容量相比，电池容量的显著（四倍）增加将通过新的硅（Si）微孔阳极实现。Si具有出色的锂（Li）插入容量，其比常规石墨高10倍，但在吸收和释放Li时遭受大的体积变化。所提出的阳极结构不仅显著增加了可用于与Li反应的表面积，而且还允许材料延伸，从而允许多次充电/放电循环。由于这一创新，所提出的紧凑型电池（尺寸A312）将能够存储足够用于助听器操作约1周的能量，而无需充电。用户将能够使用相同的（或类似的）充电器，他们使用他们的手机和其他小工具的电池充电，与一个额外的隔间小尺寸电池。该电池的成本将在使用几个月后完全回收，而其使用寿命将长达几年。在第一阶段，POC将通过优化电池设计，制造电池原型，测量其容量并证明其承受多次充电/放电循环的能力，来证明所提出的具有硅微孔阳极的A312尺寸电池的可行性。在第二阶段，POC将优化制造技术，以降低电池成本。我们还将根据ANSI/IEC要求对开发的电池进行认证。成功完成拟议的开发将直接使数百万助听器用户受益。所提出的技术可以很容易地修改，用于其他医疗设备和广泛的商业市场的许多电子设备，利用锂离子电池。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Currently, approximately 7 million Americans use hearing aid devices, which usually use compact Zn-air batteries. These batteries are relatively inexpensive, safe to use, and easy to dispose of, but only work for approximately 1 week before needing to be replaced. Practically all other modern gadgets (cell phones, computers, etc.) now utilize rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which have lower charge capacity and need frequent (practically daily) recharging. Although frequent recharging may be acceptable for gadget users, it may create potentially a life threating situation for users of medical devices. Th frequent need to replace or recharge hearing aid batteries creates a logistical problem for users, especially for seniors, who constitute the largest segment of hearing aid users. In response to the NIH National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) request for new rechargeable batteries for hearing aid devices, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new High-Capacity Li-ion Rechargeable (HCLIR) battery. The significant (fourfold) increase in the battery capacity, compare to the current capacity of Li-ion batteries wil be achieved with a new silicon (Si) microporous anode. Si has an outstanding lithium (Li) insertion capacity, which is 10 times higher than conventional graphite, but suffers from large volume changes while absorbing and releasing Li. The proposed anode structure not only significantly increases surface area available for the reaction with Li, but also permits material extension, thus allowing for multiple charge/discharge cycles. As a result of this innovation, the proposed compact battery (size A312) will be capable of storing energy sufficient for approximately 1 week of hearing aid operation without recharging. Users will be able to recharge the battery using the same (or similar) charger they use for their cell phones and other gadgets, with an additional compartment for a small size battery. The cost of the proposed battery will be completely recovered after several months of use, while its service life will be several years long. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed A312 size battery with a Si microporous anode by optimizing the battery design, fabricating battery prototypes, measuring their capacity, and demonstrating their capability to withstand multiple charge/discharge cycles. In Phase II, POC will optimize the manufacturing technology to reduce battery cost. We will also certify the developed battery according to ANSI/IEC requirements. Successful accomplishment of the proposed development will directly benefit millions of hearing aid users. The proposed technology can be modified easily for use in other medical devices and for a broad commercial market for numerous electronic devices which utilize Li-ion batteries.