A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices

Category Archives: BetaBatt

Betavoltaic power sources by BetaBatt

Nanostim’s Leadless Pacemaker

Posted on by Posted in BetaBatt, Bradycardia, Cardiac Pacing, EBR Systems, Medtronic, Nanostim, Nuclear Batteries

Nanostim's leadless pacemakerNanostim is an early-stage AIMD company in Milpitas, CA that is developing a pacemaker that can be implanted inside the heart through a catheter.  The tiny device is attached directly to the heart, eliminating the need for leads.

In May 2011 Nanostim announced that St. Jude Medical had made a substantial investment in the company.

The company is operating in stealth mode, but some details about the leadless pacemaker have emerged from Nanostim’s patents and patent applications.  An interesting detail is about the possible use of a betavoltaic power source: Continue reading→

BetaBatt’s Modern Betavoltaic Cells to Power Active Implantable Devices

Posted on by Posted in BetaBatt, Nanostim, News, Nuclear Batteries
Porous-silicon diode membrane being developed by BetaBatt for an implantable betavoltaic cell
Image Credit: University of Rochester

Nuclear energy cells that converted the impact of the β-particles on a p-n junction were developed in the 1970s.  One example was CCC’s atomic pacemaker, which was powered by a promethium-147  McDonell-Douglas Betacel 400.

Lately, BetaBatt Inc. of Houston, TX licensed beta-voltaic technology developed  at the University of Rochester to develop an implantable power source under the trade name DEC™ Cell, in which a silicon wafer captures electrons emitted by a radioactive gas such as tritium. The wafer is etched in a three-dimensional surface to capture more electrons.  The battery is sealed in a hermetic package  which  entirely  contains  the  low-energy  particles emitted by tritium, rendering the battery safe for long-term human  implant  from  a radiological-health standpoint.  Tri­tium has a half-life  of 12.3 years so that the technology  is more than adequate to meet the requirements of many implantable devices. Continue reading→