TINY BATTERY — The bion, a new miniature battery developed by Argonne and Quallion LLC, Sylmar, Calif., is only about 1/35 the size of a standard AA battery. It can be implanted using minimally invasive techniques to treat a variety of neurological disorders, such as urinary-urge incontinence. Photo by Wes Agresta.

Tiny battery developed for medical use

A new miniature battery developed by Argonne and Quallion LLC, Sylmar, Calif., is powering tiny, implantable devices that could help millions who suffer from a variety of neurological disorders, such as urinary-urge incontinence.

The devices, called “bionic neurons” or bions®, are implanted near nerves, where they emit electrical micropulses that stimulate nearby muscles and nerves. The strength and frequency of the stimulation can be programmed from outside the body, and the tiny batteries can be recharged wirelessly with an electrical field.

The entire bion system is only about 1/35 the size of a standard AA battery and can be implanted using minimally invasive techniques. Competing systems for treating these kinds of muscular impairments require large batteries and invasive surgery to implant wires and electrical leads in the body.

Feasibility trials are now under way on patients suffering from urinary-urge incontinence. This condition causes sufferers, mostly women, to leak substantial quantities of urine many times a day.

The bion comprises three integrated parts:

The battery, which operates at normal body temperature;

An advanced microstimulator, developed by Advanced Bionics Corp.; and

A control system, developed by Advanced Bionics Corp., to manage remote reprogramming and battery recharging.

“The battery designed and engineered by Quallion is the smallest cylindrical, rechargeable battery ever made,” said Hisashi Tsukamoto, chief executive officer of Quallion. “It provides a long-life power source that overcomes one of the primary hurdles in medical microelectronics.”

Previous batteries for medical microelectronics are large, have short lives and are not rechargeable. Consequently, only a few implantable devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, have evolved for patient use.

The key to the battery’s success is an advanced lithium-ion chemistry that provides a calendar life significantly greater than commercially available lithium batteries. Argonne has extensive experience in developing advanced battery chemistries with extended service life under the Department of Energy’s FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Office. These technologies are aimed at advanced batteries for hybrid electric vehicles.

For the past few years, Argonne and the University of Wisconsin, working with Quallion, have actively pursued this chemistry and developed a new class of polymer electrolytes, made largely of silicon-oxygen chains, which exhibit extraordinary conductivity and safety properties.

“This material has the highest conductivity ever reported for any polymer electrolyte and is non-flammable,” said Argonne’s Khalil Amine (CMT), co-inventor of the battery chemistry. “It is leading-edge battery chemistry that has enabled miniaturized batteries with the long lifetimes needed for medical devices.”

Argonne and the University of Wisconsin are working with Quallion on a next-generation miniature battery using the polymer electrolyte chemistry, which developers anticipate will have a lifetime of 10 years or possibly more.

Argonne’s polymer battery research is funded by Quallion under a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Advanced Technology Program.

Argonne’s battery chemistry is available for licensing in selected fields of use.

Health vendors to visit during open enrollment

Open enrollment for Argonne’s medical plans and flexible spending accounts will be held Nov. 3 - 21.

Representatives from CIGNA, HMO Illinois and Argonne’s Human Resources will visit Argonne-East’s Building 213 Cafeteria Nov. 4-6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to answer questions about the plans. Employees can obtain HMO packets and PPO directories in the cafeteria from the representatives.

Please read the open enrollment cover letter carefully; it provides information on changes in the rates, plan and HMO medical groups.

Employees who have an e-mail account were sent an e-mail message regarding open enrollment materials on the Web. Employees without e-mail accounts were sent an open enrollment package to their lab address. Contact Human Resources at ext. 2-2985 or 2-2992 for more information.

Idaho site’s WIST group welcomes Sackett

John Sackett, associate laboratory director for engineering research, spoke to Argonne-West’s Women in Science and Technology at their October lunch meeting.

Sackett described his vision for the future of nuclear energy as the United States moves to a hydrogen economy. He also spoke of the new Idaho National Laboratory (INL) that will start official operation in October 2004 and what the Idaho Falls and nearby areas can look forward to as the INL becomes the nation’s center for nuclear energy research.

The Argonne-West WIST group is developing a new charter that will allow present Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) persons to participate in WIST activities during this year of transition.

Lithography tool opens doors for nanoscience

By Margret Chang

Argonne researchers can now take advantage of a new electron beam lithography tool in their mission to advance progress in the field of nanoscience.

The Raith 150 E-beam tool, installed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), produces a highly focused electron beam less than four nanometers in width (a nanometer is one billionth of a meter). This beam can characterize and sketch patterns at dimensions 1,000 times smaller than a strand of human hair, and its combination of precise writing and imaging capabilities make it a powerful tool for use in lithography -- a process by which complex patterns can be transferred onto extremely small semiconductor crystals or other substrates.

As the latest addition to Argonne’s nanoscale equipment collection, the e-beam tool will help researchers to develop more advanced materials for use in the next generation of electronic and photonic devices.

“We are very excited to have acquired this piece of equipment,” said Leo Ocola, system manager at the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM). “In the past, most of Argonne’s e-beam lithography experiments had to be conducted at other labs, so having this technology at Argonne will definitely help jump-start nanoscience activities.”

Most industrial processes currently rely on optical lithography, which uses a highly intricate stencil to direct patterns of light onto a photo-sensitized surface. The problem with this technique is that resolution is limited to the wavelength of light being used.

In contrast, e-beam lithography’s intrinsic high resolution enables users to write designs directly onto a given surface -- a feature that makes it the primary lithographic technique used in sub-micron device research.

“Essentially,” Ocala explained, “e-beam lithography allows us greater control on the dimensions of the structures we wish to fabricate -- one of the greatest concerns when working at the nanoscale level. Whether microchips, nanomagnets, biomolecular sensors or devices are our interest, learning how to use this fabrication technique is crucial to pushing nanotechnology to new heights.”

The Raith 150 E-beam tool was purchased by the Experimental Facilities Division of the APS in conjunction with the Materials Science and Chemistry divisions. For more information about the tool, contact Leo Ocola at Ocola@aps.anl.gov.

Employees’ children eligible for scholarships

The children of full-time, regular Argonne employees are eligible to compete for University of Chicago/Argonne Scholarships, which provide full tuition. Applicants must be accepted for freshman-level admission to the University of Chicago and must be among the most qualified applicants from Argonne families, as judged by the university.

Application materials are available from the Division of Educational Programs (DEP), Building 223, Room M125, or contact Carol Reynolds at 2-4114. Applications must be validated to be accepted by the university, and should be received by DEP by Monday, Dec. 1.

For information about The University of Chicago admissions, call (773) 702-0231.

Partial Payment

The University of Chicago provides one-half tuition remission to children of full-time, regular Argonne employees who are admitted for study in the college or the laboratory schools of the university.

For information about the tuition remission program, contact Human Resources at ext. 2-3410.

Ward Graduate Fellowship

The J. Harris Ward Graduate Fellowship was established in 1975 to benefit a child of an Argonne employee. The award consists of a $4,500 flat stipend for the fellow’s first year of graduate study at the University of Chicago; the award is not renewable. There is no restriction on the candidate’s intended field of study.

Application deadline is Friday, Jan. 30, 2004. A letter with a statement of interest in being considered for the fellowship, the name of the program to which the candidate has applied and the name of the parent should be sent to Madeline Hamblin, director, Office of Graduate Affairs, University of Chicago, 5801 Ellis Avenue, Room 228, Chicago, Illinois 60637.

R&D 100, Green Chemistry entries sought

Argonne entries for the Green Chemistry Challenge Award and R&D 100 Awards are being requested by the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT).

R&D 100 awards are presented annually by R&D magazine in recognition of the “100 most technologically significant products” of the preceding year. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards acknowledge innovative technology that promotes industrial ecology or reduces or prevents pollution in a significant way. Application or commercial use of the technology is also important in this award.

R&D 100 candidates must be technologies or products that are available for license to industry or could be ordered as products in 2003. The entry will be strengthened if there is tangible evidence of private-sector interest, such as a cooperative research and development agreement, joint venture, partnership with industry, licensing to industry or some other contractual arrangement with industry.

To submit an entry, researchers should first complete a brief “intent to submit” form, available online. The form should be submitted to OTT by Friday, Nov. 21, for Green Chemistry and Monday, Dec. 1, for the R&D 100 Awards.

For more information, contact Cynthia Wesolowski (OTT) at ext. 2-7694 or weso@anl.gov.

Multi-lab partnerships topic of talk

Marion White (ASD-PHY) will discuss issues related to multi-laboratory collaborations at the next meeting of the First Friday Forum, Friday, Nov. 7, starting at 12:15 p.m. in Argonne-East’s Building 401, Room B2100.

White recently returned to the Advanced Photon Source after working for four years on the Spallation Neutron Source Project, a six-laboratory partnership to construct a $1.4 billion neutron-scattering facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. White’s presentation will include a “mostly-philosophical” look at some of the issues, both human and technical, inherent in the use of multi-laboratory technical collaborations to construct large scientific facilities.

The First Friday Forum is an informal gathering of Argonne women usually held on the first Friday of the month. The group explores career and gender issues related to women. Meetings are open to all Argonne and U.S. Department of Energy employees.

HR class topic is managing multiple projects

“Managing Multiple Projects, Objectives and Deadlines,” the second in a series of classes for administrative professionals, will be held Wednesday, Nov. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Argonne-East’s Building 212, Room A157.

Presented by Human Resources, the class (HR322) will cover proven techniques, guidelines and strategies for staying on top of even the most demanding schedule of competing priorities and multiple projects. Attendees will learn to identify and cut time-wasting activities, and devise a six-step action plan for turning priorities into attainable goals.

To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. For more information, call Betty Iwan at ext. 2-3410. For complete descriptions of all HR courses, visit the Inside Argonne Web site. Click on “Resources,” “All Employees” and “Professional Development.”

Crafters wanted

The Argonne Craft Club is looking for individuals who are interested in participating in the Annual Craft Bazaar scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13, at Argonne-East. Interested employees should contact Valerie Gaines (IPD) at ext. 2-5610.

Dejan Lazic to perform at ANL-East

Classical music will fill Argonne-East’s Building 402 Conference Center Saturday, Nov. 15, when Arts at Argonne presents Dejan Lazic, piano.

Lazic will perform music by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

The concert, scheduled for 8 p.m., is open to the public. Visitors who are U.S. citizens need photo identification to enter the site, and should call to register before the concert. Non-U.S. citizens must register before the event. Call (630) 252-3751 during business hours.

Admission is $25. To order tickets, call ext. 2-3751 or mail a request using the online ticket request form. Remaining tickets will be available the week of Nov. 10 in the Building 213 Cafeteria between noon and 1 p.m. The Auditorium Box Office will open at 7:30 p.m. the day of the performance.

The audience is invited to join the artist at a reception following the performance.

Brentano String Quartet will perform at the next concert in Arts at Argonne’s Chamber Music Series taking place Jan. 24.

ASK THE DIRECTORATE

Q: A member of Argonne’s fire department was recently stopped by other employees who told him there was a male person who was wearing a weapon at the service station putting gas in a car. Since he knew the person was an FBI agent, he informed the other employees not to dial 911, which they were going to do. Security, when contacted, said there will be an increase in the number of personnel on site wearing weapons because of increased interest in using Argonne as a base of operations in case of an emergency affecting Chicago. My question or suggestion is this: Would it not be wise to inform Argonne employees of this fact? We are used to seeing uniformed personnel with weapons but not people in street clothing.

A: Argonne has a long-standing tradition of allowing armed local and federal law enforcement on site while in the course of their duties. Since Sept. 11, 2001, there has been an increased presence of armed law enforcement on site, in part due to Argonne serving as host to meetings and exercises for federal, state and local law enforcement. The laboratory, including the Office of Safeguards and Security, is aware of their presence and views this in a positive light.

The majority of plain-clothes law enforcement personnel typically wear badges on their belts next to their weapons to insure that those who see the weapons also see the badges. This is not always the case, however. Argonne personnel are encouraged to call security if there is any doubt about the validity of weapons being carried or 911 if they observe anyone brandishing a weapon.

Employees may submit questions to askthedirectorate@anl.gov or fax them to ext. 2-5274. Only questions that include the name of the questioner and contact information, such as e-mail address, office extension or fax number, will be answered.

SERVICE AWARDS

Service Awards for November include:

35 Years

Douglas E. Engert (CIS).

30 Years

Georgia A. Anast (EA), John M. Carpenter (IPNS), Robert C. Hischier (CIS), Elliot L. Kolsto (OSS).

25 Years

A. James Aicher (FAC), Robert B. Belcher (FAC), Michael E. Vaught (IPD), Karen S. White (ERD).

20 Years

Vinod K. Gambhir (PFS), Pappannan Thiyagarajan (IPNS), Kathleen Winner (OTD), Linda Young (CHM), Michael P. Zacher (FAC).

15 Years

Evelyn A. Brown (C&PA), Youngsoo Chang (EA), Ian T. Foster (MCS), George Friedericks (PFS), Panakkal Kunjathu Job (AOD), Dennis M. Larsen (NPS), Steven Leatherman (AOD), Neil E. Lish (FAC), David E. Moncton (OTD), John A. Monson (FAC), Julie L. Muzzarelli (DIS), Stephen Karl Peters (NPS), Jack M. Sepich, Jr. (PFS).

10 Years

Mary Ann Bludgen (PFS), John Carwardine (ASD), Ernest E. Cherbak (ASD), David L. Fallin (NE), Todd A. Kimmell (EA), Alan McArthur (CIS), Bruce T. Murdoch (EQO), Hugh J. O’Neill (ES), Scott Wesling (ASD), Bingxin Yang (AOD).

5 Years

Patricia L. Berglund (OSS), Robert P. Farley, Jr. (PFS), Brandon L. Fisher (ET), Melissa M. Guide (NE), Paul Hovland (MCS), Jacob P. Johnson (NE), Thomas M. Johnson (PFS), Ivan R. Judson (MCS), Suzanne C. Marik (MSD), Diana T. Naples (CIP), Tad Pennington (PHY), Jane K. Pransky (AOD), Debra F. Ritchie (IPD), David A. Sell (ENT), Gregor Von Laszewski (MCS), John M. Wiley (PFS), Jesse F. Wood (NPS).