Greatbatch Ltd.

Wilson Greatbatch Technologies, Inc.

Gary Freitag

Dominick J Frustaci

Mark J Roy

Keith W Seitz

Robert S Rubino

Paul T Hallifax

Brian P Hohl

Todd C Sutay

Xiangyang Steve Dai

David Dianetti

Ho-Chul Yun

David Wutz

Lou Serpe

Thomas Marzano

Kenneth B Talamine

Michael F Scalise

Esther S Takeuchi

Hong Gan

Holly Noelle Moschiano

Xiaohong Tang

Afsar Ali

William M Paulot

Donald F Kaiser

Tina L Urso

Joseph M Lehnes

Biswa P Das

Kenneth L Grubb

Joseph M Prinzbach

David Warchocki

James Ditzel

Sourabh Biswas

Donald Kaiser

A case-neutral electrochemical cell has an electrode assembly comprising a separator positioned between an anode and a cathode housed inside a casing. The casing supports a co-axial glass-to-metal seal comprising an inner insulating glass hermetically sealed to a terminal pin and to the inner annular surface of an inner ferrule. An outer insulating glass is hermetically sealed to the outer annular surface of the inner ferrule and the inner annular surface of an outer ferrule, and the outer ferrule is secured to an opening in the casing. Then, one of the anode and the cathode is connected to the terminal pin and the other of the anode and the cathode is connected to the first or inner ferrule. An electrolyte is provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

Co-axial glass-to-metal seal for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

A case-neutral electrochemical cell has an electrode assembly comprising a separator positioned between an anode and a cathode housed inside a casing. The casing supports a co-axial glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) comprising an inner insulating glass hermetically sealed to a terminal pin and to the inner annular surface of an inner ferrule. An outer insulating glass is hermetically sealed to the outer annular surface of the inner ferrule and the inner annular surface of an outer ferrule. The outer ferrule is secured to an opening in the casing. Two methods are described for manufacturing a co-axial GTMS depending on the melting temperatures of the inner and outer insulating glasses. Then, one of the anode and the cathode is connected to the terminal pin and the other of the anode and the cathode is connected to the inner ferrule. An electrolyte is provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.

Method for manufacturing a co-axial glass-to-metal seal for a case-neutral electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell comprises a casing having an open- ended container closed by a lid. An anode and cathode are housed inside the casing. The cathode housed inside a primary separator envelope is electrically connected to a positive polarity terminal pin electrically isolated from the casing by a glass-to- The anode is electrically connected to the casing metal seal. serving as a negative terminal. The primary separator enveloping the cathode is contained in a secondary separator comprising an open-ended bag-shaped member extending to an open annular edge. The open annular edge of the secondary separator resides between the cathode electrically connected to the terminal pin and the anode electrically connected to the casing. An electrolyte provided in the casing activates the anode and cathode.

Dual separator design for medical implantable electrochemical cells

A lid assembly for an electrochemical cell comprises a plate-shaped lid having an opening and a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) residing in the lid opening. The GTMS does not have a ferrule. Instead, the GTMS has a sealing glass that seals directly to a terminal pin and to the lid. The terminal pin has an enlarged diameter pin section contacted by the sealing glass and a first reduced diameter pin section extending axially outwardly from the enlarged diameter pin section. An electrochemical cell provided with the lid assembly is also described.

Glass-to-metal seal terminal pin for an electrochemical cell

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell has a casing of first and second ceramic substrates that are hermetically secured to each other to provide an internal space housing an electrode assembly. First and second conductive pathways extend through the ceramic substrates. The pathways have respective inner surfaces that are conductively connected to the respective anode and cathode current collectors and respective outer surfaces that provide for connection to a load. An electrolyte in the internal space of the housing activates the electrode assembly.

Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing comprising opposed ceramic substrates housing an electrode assembly activated with a solid electrolyte

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing is formed by joining two ceramic casing halves together. One or both casing halves are machined from ceramic to provide a recess that is sized and shaped to contain the electrode assembly. The opposite polarity terminals are metal feedthroughs, such as of gold, and are formed by brazing gold into openings machined into one or both of ceramic casing halves. A thin film metallization, such as of titanium, contacts an edge periphery of each ceramic casing half. The first ceramic casing half is moved into registry with the second ceramic casing half so that the first and second ring-shaped metallizations contact each other. Then, a laser welds through one of the casing halves being a substantially transparent ceramic, for example sapphire, to braze the first and second ring-shaped metallizations to each other to thereby join the first and second casing halves together to form a casing housing the electrode assembly. A solid electrolyte (LiPON) activates the electrode assembly.

Hermetic weld for a thin film electrochemical cell activated with a solid electrolyte and housed in a ceramic casing

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing is formed by joining two ceramic casing halves together. One or both casing halves are machined from ceramic to provide a recess that is sized and shaped to contain the electrode assembly. The opposite polarity terminals are metal feedthroughs, such as of gold, and are formed by brazing gold into openings machined into one or both ceramic casing halves. The two ceramic casing halves are separated from each other by a metal interlayer, such as of gold, bonded to a thin film metallization adhesion layer, such as of titanium, that contacts an edge periphery of each ceramic casing half. A solid electrolyte (LiPON) is used to activate the electrode assembly.

Hermetic thin film electrochemical cells housed in a ceramic casing and activated with a solid electrolyte

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The casing enclosure consists of a lower plate supporting a cylindrically-shaped can having an open upper end closed with a cover. The can is selectively coated with a dielectric material to provide electrical isolation of the to-be-housed active materials from the can sidewall. A glass-to-metal seal electrically isolates the lower plate from the can. An electrode assembly comprising a sandwich of cathode active material/separator/anode active material is housed in the casing. That way, the lower plate contacting the cathode active material is the positive terminal and the closing cover connected to the can and contacted to the anode active material serves as the negative cell terminal. An electrolyte filled into the casing activates the electrode assembly and the fill opening is sealed with a plug. The cell can be of either a primary or a secondary chemistry.

Miniature electrochemical cells housed in a metallic casing having a glass-to-metal seal isolating the opposite polarity terminals

An electrochemical cell, preferably a secondary, rechargeable cell, including a casing comprised of a main body portion having opposed lower and upper open ends closed by respective lower and upper lids is described. The main body portion is composed of titanium Grades 5 or 23 having a relatively high electrical resistivity material while the lower and upper lids are composed of titanium Grades 1 or 2. The lids are preferably joined to the main body portion using laser welding. The combination of these differing titanium alloys provides a cell casing that effectively retards eddy current induced heating during cell recharging.

Method of providing an electrochemical cell casing having an open-ended main body portion of grade 5 or 23 titanium closed by upper and lower lids of grade 1 or 2 titanium

Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing comprising opposed ceramic substrates secured together using a precious metal braze

Disclosed herein are electrochemical cells that generally relate to the conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to primary lithium electrochemical cells possessing insulator pocket structures, which substantially envelope cathode components to prevent lithium cluster formation therein.

Cathode insulator design

Electrochemical cell casing having an open-ended main body portion of grade 5 or 23 titanium closed by upper and lower lids of grade 1 or 2 titanium

The present invention is directed to an electrochemical cell having plate electrodes housed inside a mating 'clamshell' casing. When mated together, the casing components are form-fitting with respect to the internal battery structure so as to reduce the overall size of the electrochemical package. A header assembly containing both a glass-to-metal seal opening for a terminal lead and an electrolyte fill opening is used in conjunction with the clamshell casing. The electrolyte fill opening is constructed with an elongated opening with at least two different radii. A first and second sealing element is welded within the electrolyte fill opening at different depths within the header to block the flow of electrolyte and form a hermetic seal.

Dual weld plug for an electrochemical cell

A current collector in the form of a conductive substrate subjected to a special chemical etch to provide the current collector having a multi-thickness structure, is described. The multiple-thickness current collector structure provides an electrochemical cell with increased charge capacity per volume while enabling a robust weld connection thereto. The current collector has a frame and comprises within an inner perimeter of the frame, first strand structures that intersect second strand structures to provide a plurality of openings or interstices bordered by the strands. At least one tab portion having a thicker distal portion spaced from a thinner proximal tab portion that extends from an outer perimeter of the frame.

Multi-thickness current collector

A magnetic pulse welding process for joining a current collector to a terminal pin in the construction of electrochemical cells is described. The magnetic pulse welding process utilizes a pulsed direct current and an electrically conductive coil to generate an electro-magnetic force that causes two work pieces to collide with each other and form a bond therebetween. Preferably, the method is used to bond the terminal pin to the cathode current collector. This method of attachment is suitable for either primary or secondary cells, particularly those powering implantable biomedical devices.

Growing community of inventors

East Aurora, NY, United States of America

Gary Freitag