Long-term in vivo behavior of a platinum endoauricular-magnesium hybrid battery

A hybrid bioelectric battery designed for pacemaker feeding was developed and implanted in 15 dogs for a period of 18 or more months. The smooth platinum cathode, set on an intra-cavitary pacing lead, is located in the bloodstream of the right auricle. The anode of pure (99.9 percent) Domal magnesium is placed in the subcutaneous tissue, which is then consumed by a uniform corrosion process. The theoretical consumption for a current output of 200 muA was evaluated according to Faraday's law at 7 g in 9 years; however, the real consumption, taking into account the corrosion phenomenon, is estimated at 14 g in 9 years. This histological tolerance to the magnesium is excellent. The fundamental characteristic of this platinum-magnesium battery is the great reproducibility of the output parameters (voltage, power) and the excellent stability with time, for any chosen platinum surface or load resistance. For an output current of 200 muA, the battery provides an available output power of 100 muW at a reproducible and stable voltage of 0.5 v. This stability is demonstrated in a long-term study on 15 beagles.