As wearable devices shrink toward ocular and skin-integrated formats, compact and safe energy storage remains a key constraint for enabling advanced functionality.
XPANCEO and ITEN have developed a solid-state microbattery designed to power next-generation smart contact lenses and ultra-compact wearables. Measuring only several tens of cubic millimeters, the battery is small enough to be embedded within a lens while delivering stable onboard power.
Smart contact lenses are being explored for applications such as augmented reality, real-time health monitoring, and wireless connectivity. However, integrating energy storage into a soft, curved, and space-constrained form factor presents significant challenges. Conventional lithium-ion batteries are typically unsuitable due to risks such as leakage, swelling, and overheating.
The newly developed battery uses fully ceramic electrodes and avoids liquid electrolytes, reducing safety risks. The design ensures that the device does not leak or ignite and is engineered to stop functioning if physically damaged. This makes it more suitable for direct contact with sensitive environments such as the human eye.
At the core of the system is a mesoporous electrode structure that increases the surface area for electrochemical reactions. This enables faster charge and discharge cycles while maintaining high power density within a compact footprint. The approach is based on nanomaterial engineering techniques to optimize performance at small scales.
Beyond the battery itself, the system incorporates energy harvesting methods to support low-power functions, while the microbattery provides sustained output for more demanding operations such as display or sensing.
“Together, we are enabling a new generation of intelligent and highly integrated systems that demand both performance and reliability, delivering power where space is limited and expectations are high, with the added assurance of full safety enabled by inherently stable, non-flammable product architecture,” says Vincent Cobée, ITEN CEO.