Ultrathin and Flexible Printed Batteries for Smart Labels, IoT and Medical Wearables

The technology offer presents ultrathin, flexible, safe and high-performance zinc batteries. The patented High Conductivity Polymer Electrolyte (HCPE) is stable, rechargeable, printable to a solid-state. Therefore, it does not need a sealed container. Furthermore, the HCPE allows for low internal resistance, and hence maximizes power. As the chemistry is based on zinc rather than lithium, it avoids the safety issues that have plagued many lithium technologies, such as soil and air contamination when extracting lithium. The expensive casing could be another issue for lithium technology.

Since the batteries are printed, they can be produced in most shape and size to meet specific project design needs. This technology offer can provide a safe, disposable and label-like power source for logistics smart tags, data loggers and medical patches. It is making inroads to becoming a de facto green battery chemistry alternative as more product designers and customers demand safer and more sustainable electronic products.

The technology uses a set of proprietary electrochemical inks and electrode materials that have been designed to work with large-scale printing equipment. The battery is durable when flexed, which is an important requirement for small cells subjected to tough everyday wear.

The battery can be customized based on project designs and the battery’s endurance and capacity differs based on the size and power profiles. The features of the battery include

• Ultrathin & flexible - 0.6mm
• Rechargeable
• Safe & Disposable
• Mass Printable
• Customizable to any shape
• Low internal resistance

The technology can currently operate in 4 key verticals:

1. Medical Patches & Devices
2. Cold chain logistics
3. Smart Labels
4. Asset tracking

The printed battery can also be integrated with the printed circuit board (PCB) for slimmer designs and cost savings due to the integration.

By 2023, reports have projected that there will be ~45B IoT-connected devices. Also, the thin battery market will grow to $3B by 2026 depending on its early traction in new markets such as medical, logistics, and media.

The market for smart labels is estimated to grow from USD $4.45 Billion in 2016 to reach USD $10.03 Billion by 2021, at an estimated CAGR of 17.65%. 

The IoT field is at its early stages of deployment and capability. It will grow in opportunity and applications across almost all sectors (energy, industry, manufacturing, mobility, and agriculture). It’s estimated that there will be trillions of connected IoT devices by 2030. As stated previously, there are huge pain points in all of those sectors, of which this printed battery, and the IoT sensors that the battery will power, will enable solutions to reducing cost and waste, increasing efficiency, and improving our lives.

The printed battery is safe, green, higher performance in compact form factors. It can be designed into unique and thin shapes and sizes based on project requirements. Furthermore, it can be mass printed using high volume and cost-effective processes. It can also be easily integrated with PCB.