Electrode with feedthrough pin for miniature electrochemical cells and methods of making
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsHailiang Zhao, Christian S. Nielsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Miniature electrodes and electrochemical cells are disclosed. Such electrodes are made from forming an electrode mixture onto a current collector and distal end of a feedthrough pin such that the current collector and distal end of the feedthrough pin is encapsulated. The methods and electrode assemblies disclosed herein allow such electrode assemblies to be made free from the step of directly attaching a formed electrode to a feedthrough pin and thus simplifying assembly and decreasing size.
Claims15
A method of making an electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell comprising the steps of:
- providing a feedthrough assembly comprising a cover having an outside surface and an inside surface, a feedthrough attached to and extending through the cover and a unitary feedthrough pin extending through and hermetically sealed within the feedthrough;
- attaching a current collector to a distal portion of the feedthrough pin at an attachment point;
- and
- forming a solid electrode electrically coupled to the current collector and the feedthrough pin by compressing an electrode material with synchronized bidirectional pressing forces, the solid electrode encapsulating the current collector and the distal portion of the feedthrough pin and including the attachment point, the unitary feedthrough pin extending from a distal end within the solid electrode to a proximate end opposite the first end and extending outward from the outside surface of the cover.
A method comprising the steps of:
- assembling an electrode assembly comprising the steps of
- providing a feedthrough assembly comprising a cover having an outside surface and an inside surface, a feedthrough attached to and extending through the cover and a unitary feedthrough pin extending through and hermetically sealed within the feedthrough;
- attaching a current collector to a distal portion of the feedthrough pin at an attachment point and forming a solid first electrode electrically coupled to the current collector and feedthrough pin from a first electrode material by compressing the electrode material with synchronized bidirectional pressing forces, the solid first electrode coupled to the feedthrough pin and the attached current collector and encapsulating the current collector and including the attachment point, the unitary feedthrough pin extending from a distal end within the solid electrode to a proximate end opposite the first end and extending outward from the outside surface of the cover;
- and
- inserting the electrode assembly into a housing, the housing containing a second electrode electrically coupled to the housing and the housing configured to electrically insulate the first electrode from the housing and the second electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.