# US 12,119,462 B2 · Sensing device for detecting analytes in batteries

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- Number: US 12,119,462 B2
- Document ID: US12119462B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/182,082
- Filed: 2021-02-22
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-04
- Assignees: Lyten, Inc.
- Applicants: Lyten, Inc.
- Inventors: Sung H. Lim; Karel Vanheusden; Daniel Cook; George Clayton Gibbs
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119462B2

## CPC

- B01J 20/0225: {Compounds of Fe, Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ir, Ni, Pd, Pt}
- H01M 10/48: Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569)
- B01J 20/20: comprising free carbon; comprising carbon obtained by carbonising processes
- B01J 20/205: {Carbon nanostructures, e.g. nanotubes, nanohorns, nanocones, nanoballs (carbon nanotubes per se C01B32/15)}
- B01J 20/28066: {being more than 1000 m2/g}
- B01J 20/2808: {being less than 2 nm, i.e. micropores or nanopores}
- B01J 20/28083: {being in the range 2-50 nm, i.e. mesopores}
- C01B 32/182: Graphene
- G01N 27/4145: {specially adapted for biomolecules, e.g. gate electrode with immobilised receptors}
- G01N 27/4146: {involving nanosized elements, e.g. nanotubes, nanowires}
- G01N 29/036: by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves
- H01M 10/4228: {Leak testing of cells or batteries}
- B01J 2220/42: Materials comprising a mixture of inorganic materials (materials coated or impregnated on a carrier B01J20/32)
- C01B 2204/04: Specific amount of layers or specific thickness
- C01B 2204/22: Electronic properties
- C01B 2204/32: Size or surface area
- G01N 27/127: {comprising nanoparticles}
- G01N 33/0037: {NOx}
- G01N 33/0039: {O3}
- G01N 33/004: {CO or CO2}
- G01N 33/0044: {Sulphides, e.g. H2S}
- G01N 2291/0215: Mixtures of three or more gases, e.g. air
- G01N 2291/0255: (Bio)chemical reactions, e.g. on biosensors
- G01N 2291/0256: Adsorption, desorption, surface mass change, e.g. on biosensors
- G01N 2291/106: one or more transducer arrays
- Y02A 50/20: Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## Abstract

A sensing device configured to monitor a battery pack is disclosed. The sensing device may include a plurality of carbon-based sensors enclosed within the battery pack. Each sensor coupled may be between a corresponding pair of electrodes, and may include a plurality of 3D graphene-based sensing materials. In some instances, the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of a first sensor may be functionalized with a first material configured to detect a presence of each analyte of a first group of analytes, and the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of a second sensor may be functionalized with a second material configured to detect a presence of each analyte of a second group of analytes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensing device configured to monitor a battery pack, the sensing device comprising:
a plurality of carbon-based sensors enclosed within the battery pack, each carbon-based sensor coupled between a corresponding pair of electrodes and including a plurality of 3D graphene-based sensing materials, wherein:
the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of a first carbon-based sensor are functionalized with a first material configured to detect a presence of each analyte of a first group of analytes; and
the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of a second carbon-based sensor are functionalized with a second material configured to detect a presence of each analyte of a second group of analytes, wherein the second group of analytes is a subset of the first group of analytes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the second group of analytes is a different than the first group of analytes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the first group of analytes includes at least twice as many different analytes as the second group of analytes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based sensors are stacked on one another.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based sensors are disposed next to one another.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the carbon-based sensors comprise carbon-based inks printed on the substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The sensing device of claim 6, wherein the first carbon-based sensor comprises a first carbon-based ink, and the second carbon-based sensor comprises a second carbon-based ink different than the first carbon-based ink.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein:
the first carbon-based sensor is configured to generate a first output signal in response to detecting the presence of the one or more analytes of the first group of analytes; and
the second carbon-based sensor is configured to generate a second output signal in response to confirming the presence of the one or more analytes detected by the first carbon-based sensor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The sensing device of claim 8, further comprising an input terminal to receive an alternating current.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The sensing device of claim 9, wherein the first and second output signals comprise currents based at least in part on the alternating current.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The sensing device of claim 9, wherein a first difference between the alternating current and the first output signal is indicative of the presence or absence of one or more analytes of the first group of analytes, and a second difference between the alternating current and the second output signal is indicative of the presence or absence of one or more analytes of the second group of analytes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The sensing device of claim 9, wherein the first output signal indicates a change in impedance of the first carbon-based sensor caused by exposure to one or more analytes of the first group of analytes, and the second output signal indicates a change in impedance of the second carbon-based sensor caused by exposure to one or more analytes of the second group of analytes.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The sensing device of claim 12, wherein a relatively small impedance change of a respective carbon-based sensor indicates an absence of a corresponding group of analytes, and a relatively large impedance change of the respective carbon-based sensor indicates a presence of the corresponding group of analytes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The sensing device of claim 8, further comprising an antenna configured to receive an electromagnetic signal from an external device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The sensing device of claim 14, wherein the first and second output signals comprise frequency responses of the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of the first and second carbon-based sensors, respectively, to the electromagnetic signal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The sensing device of claim 15, wherein:
the frequency response of the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of the first carbon-based sensor is indicative of the presence or absence of one or more analytes of the first group of analytes; and
the frequency response of the 3D graphene-based sensing materials of the second carbon-based sensor is indicative of the presence or absence of one or more analytes of the second group of analytes.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The sensing device of claim 16, wherein the frequency responses are based on resonant impedance spectroscopy (RIS) sensing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 8)

The sensing device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the output signals indicates an operating mode of the battery pack.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The sensing device of claim 18, wherein:
the at least one output signal indicates a normal mode based on an absence of the analytes of the first group of analytes;
the at least one output signal indicates a maintenance mode based on the presence of one or more analytes of the first group of analytes not exceeding a threshold level; and
the at least one output signal indicates an emergency mode based on the presence of one or more analytes of the first group of analytes exceeding a threshold level.

### Claim 20 (depends on 8)

The sensing device of claim 8, wherein the first output signal is indicative of a concentration level of one or more analytes of the first group of analytes, and the second output signal is indicative of a concentration level of one or more analytes of the second group of analytes.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein the analytes of the first and second groups of analytes includes one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The sensing device of claim 21, wherein the one or more volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include any one or more of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), one or more hydrocarbons including methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), ethane (C2H6), or propane (C3H8), one or more acids including hydrochloric acid (HCl) or hydrofluoric acid (HF), one or more fluorinated hydrocarbons including phosphorus oxyfluoride, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), one or more aromatics including benzene (C6H6), toluene (C7H8), ethanol (C2H5OH), hydrogen, carbonate based electrolytes including ethylene carbonate (C3H4O3), dimethyl carbonate (C3H6O3), propylene carbonate (C4H3O3), or one or more reduced sulfur compounds including thiols having a form of R—SH.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The sensing device of claim 21, wherein each of the 3D graphene-based sensing materials is configured to adsorb the VOCs.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The sensing device of claim 1, wherein each of the carbon-based sensors comprises a plurality of different graphene allotropes.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The sensing device of claim 24, wherein the plurality of different graphene allotropes of a respective carbon-based sensor includes one or more microporous pathways or mesoporous pathways.