At WEIPR, we recently supported Wuhan University in successfully defending a patent application for an innovative battery material. The invention is titled "A Composite Material Made of Dual-Metal Selenide Nanoparticles, Its Production Method, and Applications" (Patent Application No. 202310400983.7).
Background
Sodium-ion batteries are gaining attention as a low-cost energy storage solution, but they face a big challenge: sodium ions are larger than lithium ions, causing battery materials to swell and degrade during use. While metal selenides show promise for better battery performance, existing materials—like those in Prior Art 1 (CN108550806A)—were designed for lithium batteries and can’t handle sodium’s unique stresses. That prior material used a micro-sized, dumbbell-shaped structure unsuitable for sodium batteries.
The Innovation
Wuhan University developed a new material: nano-sized, porous spheres (300-800 nm) of nickel-manganese selenide. Their method involves a specialized chemical process using glycerol and isopropanol, followed by precisely controlled heating and exact amounts of selenium. This design tackles sodium battery issues head-on by:
Reducing material swelling during charging/discharging
Speeding up ion movement
Maintaining high capacity even after 1,000 high-power cycles
Patent Office Challenge
Initially, examiners argued this was an "obvious" tweak of Prior Art 1. They believed:
Shrinking the material from micro to nano was routine
Switching from lithium to sodium batteries was predictable
Adjusting production steps (like selenium ratios) didn’t require ingenuity
How WEIPR Helped Win the Case
We worked with Wuhan University to demonstrate why this invention wasn’t obvious:
1. Problem-Specific Solution: Sodium batteries need fundamentally different materials than lithium batteries due to ion size. Prior Art 1’s micro-dumbbells couldn’t solve sodium’s swelling issues.
2. Smart Production Choices: The glycerol-based method and precision heating weren’t minor tweaks—they were novel steps critical for stabilizing nano-structures in sodium batteries.
3. Unexpected Results: The material performed exceptionally under harsh conditions (e.g., 5A/g current), far surpassing Prior Art 1’s capabilities.
4. Breaking Conventions: While others used excess selenium "just to be safe," this team proved exact ratios worked better—a counterintuitive approach.
After presenting this evidence through WEIPR’s strategic responses, the patent was granted.
Why This Matters
This win underscores two key principles in patent law that WEIPR leverages for clients:
Tech-Specific Nuances Matter: What works for lithium batteries won’t automatically work for sodium batteries. Examiners must consider these differences.
Purpose Over Parameters: Minor changes in production (like adjusting temperatures) can be inventive if they solve a specific problem in unexpected ways.
Avoiding "Hindsight Bias": Just because a solution seems simple after seeing it doesn’t mean it was obvious beforehand.
At WEIPR, we specialize in turning complex innovations into protected IP—even when examiners initially doubt uniqueness. This case shows how deep technical understanding and precise legal arguments secure breakthroughs.
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