FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With reports of a recent sharp rise in child ingestion of button batteries, Landsdowne Labs, LLC, a Fairfield, CT. spinout from the world-renowned Langer Lab at MIT, and CBMM, the global leader in Niobium products, are pleased to announce a partnership to further develop battery technology aimed at preventing severe injury or fatality if button batteries are swallowed.
The patent-pending technology, under development by Landsdowne Labs, involves an innovative coating aimed at halting chemical reactions when batteries come into contact with aqueous environments such as the esophagus—thus reducing risks of chemical burns; permanent tissue damage to internal organs; or death, if batteries are swallowed. The metal niobium is a key component of the coating.
Given its position as a leading supplier of niobium products, CBMM is working with Landsdowne Labs to ensure that the coating is easily adoptable. This work has included fortifying the necessary global supply chain of niobium products and supporting pilot scale demonstrations of the coating. By addressing potential issues early on, both companies are aiming to get improved batteries into family households as quickly as possible.
In the words of Landsdowne Labs CEO Melissa Fensterstock: “We are delighted to embark on this partnership, which is an important step toward diminishing severe battery ingestion injuries and deaths, worldwide.”
Daniel Wright, Technical Application Engineer from CBMM, said: “We are optimistic that this partnership will help solve a very common situation for families all over the world.”
Background
Recently published data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System reveal that, from 2010-2019, a child presented to a US Emergency Department with a battery-related complaint every 75 minutes; approximately 85% of these cases involved button batteries. This frequency is more than double that reported between 1990-2009, according to an August 29 article published in the journal Pediatrics
In 2019, nearly 3,500 button battery ingestions were reported in the US, the majority involving children under age 6, according to the National Capital Poison Center. In fact, the number of ingestions may well be higher; a 2021, survey of physicians who manage foreign body-ingestion, the Global Injury Research Collaborative demonstrated that many button battery injuries and their complications are not reliably reported to any data source.
Currently, some 10 billion batteries are sold every year, worldwide; with burgeoning sales of battery-operated household items such as remote controls, key fobs, scales, flameless candles and toys, button batteries are the fastest growing segment of the battery market.
In August 2022, the US Congress passed legislation known as “Reese’s Law” to help prevent battery ingestion by children. The new law is named for a child who died after swallowing a button battery. It requires that the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulate products containing “coin” or button cell button batteries--mandating consumer warning labels and child-resistant enclosures for such products. Australia previously put forth regulatory standards.
While Landsdowne’s Fensterstock applauds the new legislation, she points out that warning labels and initially child-resistant enclosures “cannot always prevent children from swallowing batteries-- especially if product compartments become weakened with sustained use.” Therefore, “the need for safer batteries is critical.”
About Landsdowne Labs
Landsdowne Labs, Inc., formed in 2017, is a spinout from the world-renowned Langer Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The company’s first product, ChildLok, is an innovative button battery technology designed to deactivate batteries following accidental ingestion, made possible by advanced material science. Landsdowne Labs is commercializing this groundbreaking technology for global companies seeking a turnkey, low cost solution to the growing button battery health crisis. Landsdowne is headquartered in Fairfield, CT.
Website: http://www.Landsdownelabs.com.
About CBMM
CBMM is the world leader in the production and commercialization of Niobium products and has been in the market for over 60 years. CBMM is headquartered in Brazil, with subsidiaries in the United States, the Netherlands, Singapore and Switzerland and representative offices in China. CBMM manufactures and supplies niobium products and develops technology related to niobium product applications for the infrastructure, mobility, aerospace, health and energy sectors. CBMM historically has production capacity which exceeds the global demand for Niobium products. The company counts on robust logistics infrastructure in all continents, serving more than 400 clients in 50 countries. Its business model is guided by solid corporate governance and is based on guaranteed supply, innovation and development of new technologies in partnership with the most renowned research centers worldwide.
Website: www.Niobium.tech
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