Nb-based anodes to enable safe high energy and power batteries for medical devices

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Rechargeable batteries play important roles in implantable medical devices such as deep-brain stimulators to suppress tremors. In such applications, safety is of primary importance. The state-of-the-art anode for such batteries is lithium titanate that operates at a high potential mitigating safety concerns. However, high potential results in a significantly reduced energy density, thereby limiting the applications of these batteries. New Nb-based anode materials are promising in that they continue to operate at safe potentials but allow to nearly double the lithium storage and can be operated at higher rates giving a higher power. However, these materials have, to date, not been integrated into implantable devices due to detrimental transformations during battery use such as particle cracking. Herein, in-situ characterization will be used to fully understand these transformations in order to design a material that is more resilient under the conditions required for implantable devices. Then, a wide variety of material compositions will be screened in high-throughput fashion in order to mitigate these physical limitations. Furthermore, machine-learning algorithms will be utilized to dramatically increase the number of explored materials and predict to what extent co-substitution may be beneficial. In collaboration with our industrial partner, Medtronic Inc., the newly developed materials will be tested under realistic conditions to confirm their viability for medical devices. The development of these higher energy safe batteries will enable new implantable devices in the neuromodulation category and wearable devices such as sensor/monitors (e.g. glucose sensors). These new economic opportunities are important for Canadians both in terms of improved personal health and for the benefits to Medtronic manufacturing facilities in Canada.