Medical

Nuclear waste diamonds to power artificial neuron implants for decades

Nuclear waste diamonds to power artificial neuron implants for decades
Axorus's artificial neurons could treat a range of conditions when integrated with different systems around the body
Axorus's artificial neurons could treat a range of conditions when integrated with different systems around the body
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Axorus is working on artificial neurons for use all over the body, and has successfully tested its device with Arkenlight's nuclear diamond betavoltaic battery, which can deliver microwatts of power for decades without ever needing a charge
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Axorus is working on artificial neurons for use all over the body, and has successfully tested its device with Arkenlight's nuclear diamond betavoltaic battery, which can deliver microwatts of power for decades without ever needing a charge
Arkenlight's early stage tritium beta-battery, in the black box, powers an Axorus artificial neuron, in the circle of light, in a proof-of-concept both companies hope will lead to a medical-grade implant
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Arkenlight's early stage tritium beta-battery, in the black box, powers an Axorus artificial neuron, in the circle of light, in a proof-of-concept both companies hope will lead to a medical-grade implant
Axorus's artificial neurons could treat a range of conditions when integrated with different systems around the body
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Axorus's artificial neurons could treat a range of conditions when integrated with different systems around the body
These artificial neurons can be slotted into the nervous system where required. They can read signals from biological neurons, and take inputs from external systems, and then send electrical signals back into the nervous system
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These artificial neurons can be slotted into the nervous system where required. They can read signals from biological neurons, and take inputs from external systems, and then send electrical signals back into the nervous system
Arkenlight's nuclear diamond battery, at the pre-production prototype stage
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Arkenlight's nuclear diamond battery, at the pre-production prototype stage
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Arkenlight and Axorus have teamed up to prototype the first artificial neuron powered by a diamond betavoltaic battery made from nuclear waste. The goal is to develop medical-grade implants with energy sources that will last decades without charging.

We've covered Arkenlight's diamond-based betavoltaic battery technology in detail before. In brief, this company was formed by researchers at the University of Bristol who developed a means for taking bits of radioactive waste from nuclear power stations – specifically, carbon-14 and tritium from reactor parts that have been exposed to fuel rod radiation – and converting them into diamonds that can harvest the high-energy electrons, or beta particles, that it emits, and turn them into usable electricity.

These beta-voltaic batteries will generate power for an extremely long time – some can be designed to last for decades, others for thousands of years, depending on the half-life of the specific isotope they use. And despite the fact that they're made from radioactive nuclear waste, Arkenlight CEO Morgan Boardman tells us via email that they're very safe for use near, or even inside the human body.

"Externally," writes Boardman, "beta radiation of this kind doesn't penetrate human skin. Internally, there is no measurable surface emission of activity, so the the risk is minimal. The extreme hardness of the diamond structure makes it almost impossible to break, and even if it fractured the risk is still low - though this requires destructive testing to demonstrate. One must consider a force strong enough to damage a diamond – at that moment, a very low dose leak on a broken edge of the power cell would likely be the least of a patient's worries!"

Arkenlight's nuclear diamond battery, at the pre-production prototype stage
Arkenlight's nuclear diamond battery, at the pre-production prototype stage

It's important to note, though, that we're talking about tiny amounts of power here, and that other companies promising to power consumer devices and electric cars with nuclear diamond batteries are yet to demonstrate how they'll do so without having batteries bigger and heavier than the devices themselves.

Lately, Arkenlight has been working with French company Axorus, to explore the possibility of using betavoltaic microbatteries to power the artificial neurons Axorus has been developing.

These artificial neurons are designed to slot into a patient's nervous system and perform a variety of functions, based around their ability to communicate with biological neurons, "listening" to signals sent by other neurons and other systems, and sending signals of their own where required. "It is a CMOS circuit," reads the company's website, "up to 1,000 times more energy-efficient and up to 10x smaller than a biological neuron. Its very high sensitivity makes it ideal for medical implants."

These artificial neurons can be slotted into the nervous system where required. They can read signals from biological neurons, and take inputs from external systems, and then send electrical signals back into the nervous system
These artificial neurons can be slotted into the nervous system where required. They can read signals from biological neurons, and take inputs from external systems, and then send electrical signals back into the nervous system

There's all sorts of ways Axorus hopes to use these kinds of devices. The company is currently developing an artificial retina, which pairs a number of artificial neurons with photodiodes, creating a matrix of "pixels" that can read incoming light and send an electrical signal to the brain through the optic nerve. Designed for patients experiencing age-related macular degeneration, it aims to give people back the central part of their vision, albeit initially only in black and white.

These artificial retinas will be powered by the ambient light itself, but Axorus is looking for solutions to power them at night, and the company has a range of other applications in mind for its artificial neurons in the brain, the endocrine system, the gut and the urinary system where they can potentially treat all kinds of disorders – but no light will be available to power them.

A tiny, safe betavoltaic battery that lasts for decades could be perfect for these devices, so Axorus and Arkenlight have partnered up to build a proof of concept: the first artificial neuron powered by a tritium radiovoltaic micro-power generator. Here it is.

Arkenlight's early stage tritium beta-battery, in the black box, powers an Axorus artificial neuron, in the circle of light, in a proof-of-concept both companies hope will lead to a medical-grade implant
Arkenlight's early stage tritium beta-battery, in the black box, powers an Axorus artificial neuron, in the circle of light, in a proof-of-concept both companies hope will lead to a medical-grade implant

The bright spot up top is the neuron itself, and the chunky black box at the bottom houses the beta-battery. If that looks a tad large to fit inside your eyeball, don't worry; Arkenlight's target size for this tritium battery is a 4x4 mm (0.16 x 0.16 inches) square with a thickness less than 50 microns. While final output and expected lifespan are still yet to be nailed down, the company says it expects these things to generate microwatts of power for decades.

There's a way to go yet. "Even though we are producing diamonds now," says Boardman, "the path to a minimum viable product requires multiple iterations in refining the recipe and process to ensure the highest power density possible. Along this route we need to conduct a great deal of testing to define and ensure standards for consistent production and safety. These are not trivial tasks and require a lot of time and effort. We are still several years away from having a commercially available product, though we are working with early customers (like Axorus) in aligning our effort with their needs. These types of early research collaborations are typical and highly supportive in that they foster the product development and typically end in a commercial relationship."

Still, the company remains hopeful that it can get something commercialized by 2024, and if it can demonstrate that these batteries are safe and reliable inside the human body, and deliver a useful amount of power in a tiny package, they may find a range of other medical applications to plug into down the track. Fascinating stuff. Check out a video on the Axorus artificial retina and neuron technology below.

Axorus Artificial Retina

Sources: Arkenlight, Axorus

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2 comments
2 comments
FB36
"other companies promising to power consumer devices and electric cars with nuclear diamond batteries are yet to demonstrate how they'll do so without having batteries bigger and heavier than the devices themselves":

Even if the power of a small nuclear battery is not enough for directly powering an EV, it could still be very useful as an auto-recharger, though!
Imagine any kind of big/small EV that is constantly/slowly recharged by a small nuclear battery & so there is never any need for dealing w/ recharging yourself!
MarkGovers
@FB36 great idea! Although, I'm wondering with the size requirement of it, would it produce enough electrons to be feasible? Another idea, remember those slot racing cars we had some of us had as kids? The power could be centrally generated in massive amounts and used to activate the slots for cars. The cars could have retractable pins to remove from the slot as needed. Onboard batteries could be charged enroute for off-road, country travel etc.