Ilika, a solid-state battery technology specialist, has made its first customer shipment of Stereax batteries from its UK manufacturing facility. This shipment is the first of a series of planned deliveries to customers over the coming months.

The first shipment consists of a batch of single layer Stereax M50 cells, which Ilika has allocated to its customer Blink Energy, the provider of device-agnostic power and communications platforms for any ocular device. The M50 cells can be used individually, but they are also the building blocks for Ilika's M300 batteries, which are constructed from six M50 cells connected in parallel. Forthcoming Stereax customer deliveries will also include M300 batteries.

The ultra-thin profile of M50 cells is of particular benefit to Blink Energy, which is designing products to power and connect smart ocular devices. Blink Energy's aim is to resolve unmet needs of patient compliance, reliability, connectivity, and pricing of the smart contact lens market. Blink Energy's solution, Blink IT (a smart patch device), fits onto the eyelid epicanthal fold, and contains a designated power and communication platform that wirelessly connects a smart lens to a mobile app.

Further to Ilika's announcement of 16 January 2023, Ilika and Cirtec Medical, a strategic outsourcing partner of complex medical devices including minimally invasive and active implantable devices, are currently finalising the terms of their intended partnership. Ilika and Cirtec have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which outlines the transfer of Stereax mm-scale battery manufacturing to Cirtec's facility in Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. Following the transfer, Ilika will focus on advanced technology development and IP licensing in support of Cirtec's manufacturing and commercialisation activities.

Graeme Purdy, Ilika's chief executive officer said: "We are delighted to have begun fulfilling our commitments to customers by shipping batteries from our UK facility. Starting with Blink Energy, we look forward to further supporting our customers' product roadmaps for miniature medical devices and industrial IoT applications. Our relationship with Cirtec will further support commercial ramp-up in due course."

Yariv Bar-on, Blink Energy co-founder and chief executive officer, added: "We are looking forward with great anticipation to the arrival of the first batch of Ilika's Stereax cells. These are miniature batteries that offer the optimal form factor and power density necessary to power and facilitate communication for Blink's platform of smart ocular devices. As we continue to develop our product offerings, we eagerly anticipate evaluating the Stereax cells to determine their potential impact."