Boone B Owens

Title: Innovations by Boone B Owens

Introduction

Boone B Owens is a notable inventor based in Wrightsville Beach, NC (US), recognized for his contributions to the field of battery technology and hearing aids. He holds a total of 9 patents, showcasing his innovative spirit and dedication to advancing technology.

Latest Patents

Among his latest patents, Owens has developed lithium batteries utilizing new manganese oxide materials as lithium intercalation hosts. One of his significant inventions includes amorphous manganese dioxide cathodes for lithium batteries, which are synthesized through a sol-gel approach. This method involves the reduction of sodium permanganate with fumaric acid disodium salt at room temperature, ensuring an amorphous structure. The resulting material features a nanoporous structure with a high internal surface area of 350 m²/g. This amorphous manganese dioxide can electrochemically intercalate more than 1.6 moles of lithium per mole of manganese, with a theoretical capacity of 2 moles of lithium per mole of manganese. The intercalation process remains reversible throughout the entire range, and lithium battery cathodes made from this material, combined with carbon powder and a binder, achieve a charge capacity of 436 mAh/g and store energy at 1056 mWh/g. Additionally, copper-doped amorphous manganese oxides have shown significant improvements in cycling performance.

Another notable invention by Owens is a contactless rechargeable hearing aid system. This system allows a rechargeable hearing aid to be optically or inductively recharged. The optically rechargeable hearing aid features a dual-purpose optical fiber that serves as both a light conduit for recharging and a drawstring for the device. The hearing aid utilizes a high-energy nickel metal-hydride rechargeable battery or a high-energy, high-voltage lithium-based rechargeable battery, along with a DC to DC voltage regulating circuit. This circuit converts the declining DC output voltage of the rechargeable battery to the fixed DC input voltage required by the hearing aid's audio-related circuitry. The design of the rechargeable battery may include an alternately folded cell stack, a spiral wound cell stack, or an accordion folded cell stack, optimizing the volume while maximizing the anode, cathode, and electrolyte areas to reduce internal resistance losses during use.

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Boone B Owens has worked with prominent organizations such as Medtronic, Inc. and the University of Minnesota. His experience