High density solid-state battery technology for miniature medical implants

This project will develop a solid-state implantable miniaturised battery to power an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG). IPG's treat conditions by using the bodies nervous system to send circuits of neurons through electric impulses to the end organ in order to control the body, repair lost function and restore health. Two features make these circuits excellent targets for therapeutic intervention. First, they comprise discrete components — interconnected cells, fibre tracts and nerve bundles — allowing for pinpoint intervention. Second, they are controlled by patterns of action potentials, which can be altered for treatment. Already, devices that harness electrical impulses are used to treat disease. A new breed of IPG device is being developed which offers a more targeted approach - a device that can read the body's electrical impulses and can identify when there is a problem and then make the appropriate correction. These micro devices will be small enough to attach to nerve endings. Ilika will build upon its lithium-ion battery technology to create a battery with small enough footprint to be encapsulated within the IPG device yet still have enough battery power and circuitry to run algorithms that generate the patterns of electrical impulses needed to treat various diseases.