Stronger Battery for Endoscopes

Hitachi Maxell Ltd. has developed a pair of high-performance coin batteries for medical equipment: an SR battery for capsule endoscopes and a CR battery for transdermal administration of pharmaceuticals.

The new silver-oxide SR battery for capsule endoscopes is the same size as a wristwatch SR battery, with an outer diameter of about 9mm, but it can put out 5mA, which is 4,000 to 5,000 times more powerful.

The battery can provide that current for about eight continuous hours, powering the light and the wireless transmission of data from the capsule endoscope during its entire trip through the gastrointestinal tract.

To up the amperage, researchers mixed in a material that promotes conductivity with the silver-oxide material used for the battery’s cathode.

The new lithium-manganese dioxide CR battery for transdermal administration of pharmaceuticals is based on a CR battery the company developed for automotive tire-puncture sensors.

For more information, visit www.maxell.com.