Abstract: A current collector for an electrochemical cell is described. The current collector has both external and internal connection tabs which are preferably contiguous with each other and provide for increased flexibility in connecting a cell terminal lead directly to any contact point along the extent of the two connection tabs.

Abstract: A lithium electrochemical cell including an anode and cathode assembly with the anode connected electrically to a conductive cell casing and an insulated cathode conductor extending through a lid at an end of the casing and connected to a cathode lead near the lid and with a first insulating component for insulating the casing from cell components therein and extending along and within the casing from a closed end thereof toward the lid, and which is characterized by a second insulating component for insulating the lid from components in the casing and extending along within the lid and toward the first insulating bag so as to prevent a short circuit between the lid or casing and the cathode assembly caused by formation of lithium clusters in the region between the lid or casing and the cathode connector.

Abstract: A twin plate cathode structure (53) for use in an alkali metal/solid and alkali metal/oxyhalide cell assembly includes a plurality of cathode plates (54a, 54b) operatively associated with an anode (31), the twin plate cathode structure comprising at least two cathode bodies (56a, 56b) each including cathode active material portions, an electrode including two cathode current collector portions (58a, 58b) operatively associated with corresponding ones of the cathode bodies, and an intermediate conductor means (60) joining the two collector portions for making electrical connection to the cathode structure. A plurality of twin plate cathode structures are grouped or arranged to provide a cathode cell assembly in which there is provided means (eg. a lead bar) operatively connected to each of the intermediate conductor means (60) for making electrical connection to the cathode structure in the assembly.

Abstract: An electrode component for an electrochemical cell is described wherein the electrode is produced by thermal spraying an electrode active material onto a substrate to coat the substrate. Suitable thermal spraying processes include chemical combustion spraying and electrical heating spraying, using both wire and power processes.

Abstract: An alkali metal/solid cathode electrochemical cell, particularly a Li/CF.sub.x cell, having an electrolyte-to-cathode (E/C) weight ratio of about 0.94 to 0.96, and an anode-to-cathode (A/C) capacity ratio of about 1.03, is described. These ratios provide the cell with an improvement of about 6.7% in terms of volumetric energy density and about 11.9% in terms of gravimetric energy density over prior art Li/CF.sub.x cells.

Abstract: The present invention is related to an electrochemical cell comprising an anode of a Group IA metal and a cathode of a composite material prepared from a combination of vanadium oxide and a mixture of nitric acid and at least one of a silver-containing constituent and a copper-containing constituent. The present cathode material is particularly useful for implantable medical applications.

Abstract: The present invention related to an electrochemical cell comprising an anode of a Group IA metal and a cathode of a composite material prepared from a combination of vanadium oxide and either a copper or a silver oxide and the other of a copper or a silver nitrate. The cathode material of the present invention provides an increased gravimetric energy density over the cathode active materials of the prior art along with an increased pulse voltage delivery capacity. This makes the cathode material of the present invention particularly useful for implantable medical applications.

Abstract: Battery-powered implantable medical devices require a suitable method for indicating end-of-service of the power source so that there is ample time for elective replacement of the device and/or power source. The present invention utilizes mixed cathode materials preferably comprising a major portion of a fluorinated carbon and a minor portion of a metal-containing material. This mixed cathode formulation is characterized by two, discretely different operating voltages, the second of which may be used as an end-of-life indicator.

Abstract: An alkali metal electrochemical cell having the cathode comprising at least two distinct active mixtures having differing formulations of a discharge promoter component mixed with electrode active material, is described. The active mixture contacting the current collector has a greater percentage of the discharge promoter component than the remainder of the cathode, and a preferred electrode active material is fluorinated carbon.

Abstract: A cathode active material admixture comprising a metal, a metal oxide, a mixed metal oxide or a metal sulfide and fluorinated carbon, is described. A preferred admixture comprises copper-silver-vanadium oxide and CF.sub.x. Such a blended cathode active admixture is useful in a nonaqueous electrochemical cell discharged for extended periods under a light load interrupted by high rate pulse discharges, such as occurs in an implantable medical device.

Abstract: A separator insert used in addition to the main separator in an electrochemical cell, is described. A preferred material for the separator insert is a woven or nonwoven fluropolymeric material such as tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer (PETFE). This polymeric material is chemically inert to the components used in alkali metal cells, is corrosion resistant and does not decompose at normal battery temperatures. Preferably, the separator insert covers at least each side of the cathode means in a spirally wound electrode stack and extends less than one-half the total length thereof. This provides additional protection against internal short circuit conditions due to tearing or puncture of the traditional separator cause by exposed electrode screens.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell including an alkali metal anode and a cathode, one of the anode or cathode being connected to a structure for making electrical connection from a load to the cell, the other of the anode or cathode having main and alternate portions, a main terminal connected to the main anode or cathode portion for making electrical connection between a load and the cell, and an alternate terminal connected to the alternate anode or cathode portion for making electrical connection between a load and the cell, so that the main anode or cathode portion first is discharged with the alternate portion held in reserve, whereupon when the main portion reaches end of life the alternate anode or cathode portion is discharged. The main and alternate anode or cathode portions are insulated from each other, and the anode preferably is of lithium.

Abstract: An alkali metal electrochemical cell capable of delivering high current pulses without exhibiting voltage delay, rapidly recovering its open circuit voltage and having high current capacity, is described. The stated benefits are realized by conditioning the cell heated at an elevated temperature for an extended period of time.

Abstract: A medical grasper device (10) that is useful for holding and manipulating a body organ is described. The grasper device is partially inserted into a body cavity and comprises a flexible strap (14) having a distal section (18) that is deployed from a tube (12) to form a partial closed loop (2). A terminal end of the strap has an aperture (42) that is manipulated by a separate forceps-type device to mate with a connection means (56) provided on the grasper device to complete the loop. The closed loop is then adjustable in size to provide for positioning the loop at a desired location around the target body organ to hold and manipulate the body organ. At such time as the grasper device is no longer needed in the surgical procedure, the strap is either removed from the connection means with the aforementioned forceps-type device or is cut by a separate cutting means to release the loop from the body organ and the grasper device is removed from the body cavity.

Abstract: A combination battery comprising a medium rate cell portion intended to be discharged under a substantially constant drain and a high rate cell portion intended to be pulse discharged, is described. Both cell portions are housed in the same casing and activated with the same electrolyte. The respective cells are capable of both independent and simultaneous discharge.

Abstract: Heat treating the inner, contact surface of an electrochemical cell casing in an oxidizing atmosphere such as air to render the inner surface thereof essentially contamination free and suitable as a current collector, is described. The casing is preferably of stainless steel and houses the alkali metal-halogen couple in a case-positive configuration. The oxidized cases are ready for cell assembly upon cooling and cell electrical performance is maintained without the need for wet chemical treatment of any kind.

Abstract: A high pulse power electrochemical cell comprising an alkali metal-aluminum alloy anode, a nickel anode current collector, a calendared mixed metal oxide cathode active material pressed onto a cathode current collector comprising aluminum and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution, is described. The electrolytic solution preferably comprises at least one ion-forming alkali metal salt of hexafluorophosphate with the alkali metal salt being similar to the alkali metal comprising the anode. Lithium is the preferred alkali metal. This cell system produces high current pulses and can be housed in a casing having a reduced volume with respect to conventional electrochemical systems. Additionally, the anode/electrolytic solution exhibits reduced voltage delay without comprising heat dissipation.

Abstract: A cathode produced from a new process for manufacturing a cathode component from a free-standing sheet of cathode material, is described. The process comprises a first step of adjusting the particle size of the cathode active material to a useful size followed by mixing with binder and conductive additives suspended in a suitable solvent to form a paste. The paste is then fed into a series of roll mills to form the sheet material, or the paste can first be pelletized before the rolling step. The cathode sheet material is dried and punched into cathode plates having a myriad of geometric shapes suitable for cathode preparation by compressing a current collector between two plates of the cathode material.

Abstract: An improved alkali metal/mixed metal oxide electrochemical cell capable of delivering high current pulses, rapidly recovering its open circuit voltage and having high current capacity, is described. The stated benefits are realized by dissolving a carbon oxide such as CO.sub.2 in the electrolyte.

Abstract: A cell construction that makes use of unbalanced electrode components or portions comprising one of the electrodes of an electrochemical cell to provide an end-of-life indication, is described. The unbalanced electrode components can have dissimilar physical dimensions or dissimilar percent loading of electrode active material. This renders the one dissimilar electrode component having the lesser physical dimension, i.e., lesser surface area or thickness, or lesser quantity of electrode active material electrochemically unreactive prior to the other electrode component during the course of cell discharge. Upon the early exhaustion or unreactiveness of the one dissimilar electrode component, the total cell interelectrode working capacity is reduced by a predetermined factor. The remaining functional electrode component provides the cell with sufficient capacity for electrical discharge at a predetermined lower energy level.