The consequences of ingestion of button cells by children have only worsened since the 20 mm lithium batteries appeared, as an effective source of supply for all types of household items. We commented here that these objects could not cause choking problems if they descend through the esophagus, but in return they cause alkaline burns due to content leakageIn addition, surrounded by a humid environment it is possible that they even cause electrical currents that affect different body tissues.
These accidents are a frequent cause of emergency visits, so in the post linked above they are also introduced advice on prevention, because they are facts that should not happen. But what we are going to tell you today is that a group of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital, have devised a new coating for this type of batteries, which would prevent electric shock.
In addition, in trials with non-human animals, it was discovered that they did not damage the digestive tract in any way
More than five billion button cells are manufactured annually (and when reading this figure I also think about the treatment that will be given to them after use). In the United States, it is mandatory that the labeling shows the warnings of the risk of ingestion, and the need to buy toys with really safe covers is also indicated. But it had not occurred to anyone that the button batteries were safer in case of ingestion.
What happens to a button cell within the body?
When the batteries are ingested, they begin to interact with water or saliva, creating an electric current that produces hydroxide, a caustic ion that damages the tissue. This it can cause serious injuries in just a couple of hours, especially if the parents do not immediately realize that a child has swallowed a battery.
These accidents usually require emergency endoscopic removal in a serious situation that occurs too often. Otherwise we are facing a gastrointestinal emergency, since tissue damage begins so soon As the battery is in contact with the tissue, generating an electric current that leads to a chemical burn.
The research team (professors Robert Langer and Jeffrey Karp, who have worked with several collaborators) began to think of ways to alter the batteries so that they could not generate a current inside the human body, and at the same time they were able to power the device that housed them.
When the batteries are inserted and ready for function, they experience a gentle pressure; The coating with a material that insulates them if they are not compressed inside any device, protects in case of ingestion.
What insulator do we talk about?
It is a common material on keyboards and touch screens, It is silicone type with metal particles (which in normal circumstances are sufficiently separated to be able to conduct downloads). It is called QTC and depending on the pressure it undergoes, it changes from being insulating to being conductive.
The procedure includes covering the battery with QTC at one end, and then completely covering it to waterproof it.
That is, it does not act the same way in an MP3 than inside the stomach. Researchers have thought of details such as the pressure to which the digestive tract is subjected in special cases such as peristalsis, or the so-called “esophagus in nutcracker”
It seems that the solution it would not involve the development of many investments in the manufacturing process and the additional cost would not be significant. The idea is considered as brilliant by a professor of medical science at Brown University who supports it as an easy solution for the risks of ingesting button batteries.
After the findings, we work on a method that allows large-scale manufacturing, and companies that are willing to market these new products are sought.
Now what you would expect is to investigate so that the batteries are also safe for the environment, and that the treatment systems are totally safe. That and that parents with children watch what they put in their mouths, since as I have commented on occasions, it is not a problem only associated with babies who discover the touch of things with their lips and tongue ... older children (up to 10 I would say) can also be suffocated by the intake of foreign bodies , or they can cause unintentionally (because nobody does these things on purpose) internal injuries.
