New Competition in Neurostimulator Battery Market

by James Cavuoto, editor

The market for power supplies for implanted neurostimulation devices has expanded considerably as existing players and new suppliers are developing new batteries with expanded capabilities and reduced size.

EaglePicher Medical Power, the Surrey, BC manufacturer of batteries for medical devices, recently announced the successful qualification of the industry’s smallest implantable-grade medical battery. The battery’s size and shape (cylindrical, 0.260 in. long x 0.090 in. diameter) makes possible a neurostimulation device that can be implanted via a minimally-invasive catheter procedure rather than traditional implantation surgery. The battery is presently undergoing clinical trials in Europe.

The Micro Battery, which is about 50 percent smaller and lighter than other commercially available products, is based on a proprietary new cell construction developed by EaglePicher Medical Power. Electrical capacity exceeds the original design objective by a factor of five with the result that it can theoretically power the device for more than 15 years. The company is looking at market opportunities in neurological catheters, cardiovascular monitoring, and neural prostheses, including retinal implants and cochlear implants.

“The performance of this battery is truly remarkable compared to anything on the market and is a testament to the innovation that has kept EaglePicher at the forefront of high-performance battery development for so many decades,” said Grant Farrell, VP & general manager of EaglePicher Medical Power. “Manufacturers of implantable medical devices who want to miniaturize their product but have not been able to find a suitable power source now have an option due to the size and performance of the Micro Battery.”

Last month, Greatbatch, Inc., the Clarence, NY manufacturer of power supplies, announced the qualification of its first battery model to incorporate nanoSVO for use in next-generation implantable medical devices. An outgrowth of the company’s silver vanadium oxide (SVO) high-rate battery product line, nanoSVO results from a proprietary, highly efficient synthesis process that vastly improves cathode material homogeneity, yielding more reliable and superior battery performance. The qualification of this cathode manufacturing process drew on intellectual property gained from the acquisition of NanoGram Devices Corp. in 2004.

Susan Campbell, vice president of medical power for Greatbatch, stated, “We are committed to providing the most reliable implantable medical components available. The qualification of nanoSVO is a validation of the Greatbatch intellectual property investment strategy and is consistent with our history of delivering the technology necessary to enhance performance and reliability for our ­customers.”

The company had earlier announced the release of a new, non-proprietary model of its medium-rate implantable “Q” series battery. The battery provides a shape factor and capacity that can be readily utilized by many medical device manufacturers with little or no modification—significantly reducing the development time for new implantable devices.

A third manufacturer of power supplies for implanted stimulation devices, Quallion, Inc. of Sylmar, CA, is also active in the market. The company provided the cylindrical lithium cell for Advanced Bionics’ Bion microstimulator, now marketed by Boston Scientific.

Meanwhile, one new entrant in the neurostimulation battery market has left the market. GentCorp, a company started by Greatbatch founder Wilson Greatbatch in 2000, laid off much of its staff last year, including CEO Elisabeth Hager. Hager has since started a new medical firm, Balan Biomedical, in Rochester, NY, that provides engineering and consulting services to neurostimulation device manufacturers.