Eight-pin ceramic feed-through for deep brain stimulator

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of feed-through connectors, in particular to an eight-pin ceramic feed-through for a deep brain stimulator, which comprises probes, a flange ferrule and a ceramic insulator with a circular rectangular structure, two rows of through holes are arranged on the ceramic insulator and are probe placing holes, the two rows of probe placing holes are staggered at equal intervals, the diameter of the probe placing holes is larger than that of the probes, and the diameter of the probe placing holes is larger than that of the flange ferrule. Counter bores coaxial with the through holes are formed in the upper surface of the ceramic insulator at intervals and serve as brazing filler metal containing holes, counter bores coaxial with the through holes are formed in the lower surface of the ceramic insulator at intervals and serve as brazing filler metal containing holes, the brazing filler metal containing holes in the upper surface and the lower surface are arranged in a staggered mode, and the diameter of the brazing filler metal containing holes is larger than that of the probe containing holes. A space for containing brazing filler metal is formed, a boss is arranged in the middle of the outer surface of the flange ferrule, tinned tin is arranged at the end of the probe, and feed-through microminiaturization is achieved while welding stress is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of feedthrough connectors, in particular to an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator. Background Art

[0002] Deep brain stimulation (DBS) technology is a means of reversibly regulating the brain. It implants electrodes into specific brain areas through surgery, sends electrical pulses of a certain frequency, and regulates abnormal brain discharges, thereby achieving the purpose of improving or treating diseases. Since the entire DBS system includes electrodes, pulse generators, and wires, similar to a cardiac pacemaker, DBS is also called a "brain pacemaker."

[0003] A deep brain stimulator generally consists of two parts: an implant and an external device. The implant needs to be surgically implanted into a specific part of the patient and will accompany the patient throughout his or her life. Therefore, the long-term safety, reliability and biocompatibility of the implant in the human body are crucial. In the implant, a feedthrough is required to connect the implanted chip to the electrode at the target site. Therefore, the implant feedthrough component of the deep brain stimulator needs to have extremely high structural strength, reliability, airtightness and insulation.

[0004] Among the existing technologies disclosed about feed-through connectors, there is a solution that uses ceramics as the insulator support material. Although this improves the insulation performance and strength and can also reduce the difficulty and cost of the product production process, the countersunk holes opened in this ceramic feed-through connector are often concentrated on one side, and the flange on the periphery of the ceramic insulator is offset. During the product production process, the welding stress is obvious and the residual stress in the weld is large, which will affect the performance of the product and reduce the reliability of the product. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model provides an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator.

[0006] The technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0007] An 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator comprises a probe, a flange ring and a ceramic insulator, wherein the ceramic insulator is provided with two rows of through holes as probe placement holes, each row of probe placement holes is provided with 4 holes, and 4 countersunk holes as solder placement holes are respectively arranged at intervals at the upper and lower ends of the two rows of probe placement holes, and each probe placement hole is provided with only one solder placement hole.

[0008] The flange ring is provided with a first annular groove, a second annular groove, and a through opening with inner diameters decreasing in sequence from top to bottom. The ceramic insulator is placed in the second annular groove and has a height greater than that of the second annular groove. The raised portion and the first annular groove form a space for accommodating solder.

[0009] A boss is arranged around the outside of the flange ring.

[0010] Specifically, the distances between two adjacent probe placement holes in the two rows of through holes are the same.

[0011] Furthermore, the two rows of probe placement holes are staggered.

[0012] Preferably, the height of the ceramic insulator is greater than the height of the first annular groove.

[0013] Preferably, the lower end of the first annular groove is inclined downward.

[0014] Preferably, the height of the second annular groove is not less than half the height of the ceramic insulator.

[0015] Specifically, the boss is arranged outside the second annular groove.

[0016] Furthermore, the boss is arranged in the middle of the outer surface of the flange ring.

[0017] Specifically, the ceramic insulator consists of a rectangular block and semicircular blocks symmetrically distributed on both sides of the rectangular block, and the rectangular block and the semicircular block match in shape.

[0018] Preferably, the ends of the probes are provided with tin plating.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0020] (1) The utility model is an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator. By arranging solder placement holes on both sides of a ceramic insulator, stress concentration caused by a single-sided countersunk hole arrangement is reduced, the reliability of the product is improved, and the volume of the feedthrough is minimized, which is conducive to the development of ceramic feedthroughs towards miniaturization.

[0021] (2) Using ceramic as a ceramic insulator has higher insulation performance and higher strength, which can greatly reduce the difficulty and cost of the product production process and realize the miniaturization of feedthrough based on the ceramic insulator structure.

[0022] (3) A boss is provided in the middle of the outer surface of the flange ring, which effectively reduces the problem of stress concentration and residual stress caused by the boss offset during subsequent laser welding.

[0023] (4) The probe is pre-tinned, which is beneficial for the subsequent connection between the product and the circuit board. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In the attached picture:

[0025] Figure 1It is a structural schematic diagram of an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator in an embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator in an embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 A top view of an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator in an embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the flange ferrule structure of an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator in the embodiment;

[0029] The components represented by the reference numerals in the figure are:

[0030] 1. Probe; 2. Flange ring; 3. Ceramic insulator; 4. Solder; 5. Probe placement hole; 6. Solder placement hole; 7. Boss; 8. Tin plating; 9. First annular groove; 10. Second annular groove; 11. Through-opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Example

[0033] This embodiment provides an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator. Figure 1 , comprising a probe 1, a flange ring 2 and a ceramic insulator 3, characterized in that the ceramic insulator 3 is provided with two rows of through holes as probe placement holes 5, each row of probe placement holes 5 is provided with 4 holes, and 4 countersunk holes as solder placement holes 6 are respectively arranged at intervals at the upper and lower ends of the two rows of probe placement holes 5, and each probe placement hole is provided with only one solder placement hole 6,

[0034] The interior of the flange ring 2 is provided with a first annular groove 9, a second annular groove 10, and a through hole 11 with inner diameters decreasing in sequence from top to bottom. The ceramic insulator 3 is placed in the second annular groove 10 and has a height greater than that of the second annular groove 10. The raised portion and the first annular groove 9 form a space for accommodating the solder 4.

[0035] A boss 7 is arranged around the outside of the flange ring 2 .

[0036] Specifically, the deep brain stimulator in the technical solution uses an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough as a feedthrough connector implanted in the human body, which is composed of three parts: a probe 1, a flange ferrule 2, and a ceramic insulator 3. The probe 1 is used to conduct electrical signals, and the outer flange ferrule 2 is used to support and seal the entire feedthrough connector, helping to fix the probe 1 and the ceramic insulator 3. The ceramic insulator 3 is used for insulation and support between the probes 1. The ceramic insulator 3 is welded together with the outer flange ferrule 2 and the inner probe 1 by high-temperature vacuum brazing to avoid the influence of oxygen and other impurities in the air on the welded joint, reduce welding defects, and improve welding quality.

[0037] Among them, probe 1 is 99.95% platinum, 99.95% niobium or platinum-iridium alloy with an alloy ratio of 90:10, which has good conductivity and biocompatibility, and has good stability and corrosion resistance when implanted in the human body for a long time. The diameter of probe 1 is 0.2-0.5mm and the length is 10-50mm. In order to facilitate the subsequent soldering connection of the 8-pin ceramic feedthrough with the circuit board, the end of the probe is pre-tinned in this embodiment, and the thickness of the tin plating 8 is between 10-30um and the length is between 3-7mm.

[0038] The ceramic insulator 3 is an alumina ceramic, aluminum nitride ceramic or zirconium oxide ceramic with a purity greater than 99%. The ceramic insulator 3 is composed of a rectangular block and semicircular blocks symmetrically distributed on both sides of the rectangular block. The rectangular block and the semicircular block match in shape. The ceramic insulator 3 has a length of 7-9 mm, a width of 1.5-3 mm, and a thickness of 1-2 mm. Two rows of through holes are arranged on the ceramic insulator 3 as probe placement holes 5. The two rows of probe placement holes 5 are arranged equidistantly and staggered. The diameter of the probe placement hole 5 is larger than the diameter of the probe 1, forming a space for accommodating the brazing material 4. The probe 1 and the ceramic insulator 3 are welded together by melting the brazing material 4 through brazing.

[0039] The spacing between two adjacent probe placement holes 5 in the two rows of through holes is the same and the two rows of probe placement holes 5 are staggered. Four countersunk holes as solder placement holes 6 are arranged at intervals at the upper and lower ends of the two rows of probe placement holes 5. Only one solder placement hole 6 is arranged on each probe placement hole to minimize the feedthrough volume. The diameter of the solder placement hole 6 is larger than the probe placement hole 5 to form a space for accommodating the solder 4. The solder 4 is melted by brazing to more firmly weld the probe 1 and the ceramic insulator 3 together.

[0040] Solder placement holes 6 are provided on both sides of the ceramic insulator 3, which minimizes the volume of the ceramic insulator 3 without reducing the performance of the ceramic insulator 3 itself. At the same time, the solder placement holes 6 arranged symmetrically on both sides also reduce the stress of the ceramic insulator 3 during the processing process, resulting in a higher yield and smaller welding stress after brazing.

[0041] In this embodiment, the probe placement hole 5 and the solder placement hole 6 are coaxially arranged, and the probe placement hole 5 is arranged to have a diameter of 2.5-5 mm and a depth of 1-3 mm, and the solder placement hole 6 is arranged to have a width of 0.3-0.6 mm and a depth of 0.5-1.2 mm.

[0042] The flange ferrule 2 is made of Grade 2 pure titanium or pure niobium. The flange ferrule 2 is provided with a first annular groove 9, a second annular groove 10 and a through hole 11 whose inner diameters decrease in sequence from top to bottom. The shapes of the first annular groove 9, the second annular groove 10 and the through hole 11 match the shape of the ceramic insulator 3. The ceramic insulator 3 is placed in the second annular groove 10 and its height is greater than that of the second annular groove 10. The raised part and the first annular groove 9 form a space for accommodating the brazing material 4. The flange ferrule 2 and the ceramic insulator 3 are firmly welded together by melting the brazing material 4 through brazing. At the same time, the height of the ceramic insulator 3 is greater than that of the first annular groove 9. The lower end of the first annular groove (9) is tilted downward to accommodate more brazing material 4. During the brazing process, the brazing material 4 in the first annular groove 9 tilts and flows into the gap between the ceramic insulator 3 and the second annular groove 10, so that air tightness is ensured while achieving firm welding. The gap between the ceramic insulator 3 and the second annular groove 10 is set to 0.02-0.06mm.

[0043] The height of the second annular groove 10 is not less than half of the height of the ceramic insulator 3 , which can better support the ceramic insulator 3 while increasing the contact area with the periphery of the ceramic insulator 3 , resulting in a better welding effect.

[0044] The solder 4 is gold with a purity greater than 99.95%. High-purity gold has good conductivity and ductility, which can reduce the formation of impurities and oxides during the welding process, improve the welding quality and the strength of the feed-through connector. At the same time, gold has good biocompatibility and can reduce the rejection reaction to human tissue after implantation.

[0045] The boss 7 is arranged outside the second annular groove 10 and in the middle of the outer surface of the flange ring 2. The boss 7 has a width of 0.5-1.5 mm and a thickness of 0.3-0.6 mm. The boss 7 is used for subsequent laser welding with the shell of the implant. The boss 7 is located in the middle of the outside of the flange ring 2, which can effectively reduce the residual stress in the weld after laser welding.

[0046] The utility model provides an 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator, and the sealing performance of the product can reach below 1E-10atm.cc / sec, thereby realizing miniaturization of the feedthrough on the basis of a ceramic insulator structure.

Claims

1. An 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator, comprising a probe (1), a flange ring (2) and a ceramic insulator (3), characterized in that: The ceramic insulator (3) is provided with two rows of through holes as probe placement holes (5), each row of probe placement holes (5) is provided with four probe placement holes, four countersunk holes as solder placement holes (6) are respectively arranged at intervals at the upper and lower ends of the two rows of probe placement holes (5), and each probe placement hole is provided with only one solder placement hole (6). The flange ring (2) is provided with a first annular groove (9), a second annular groove (10), and a through hole (11) whose inner diameters decrease in sequence from top to bottom. The ceramic insulator (3) is placed in the second annular groove (10) and has a height greater than that of the second annular groove (10). The raised portion and the first annular groove (9) form a space for accommodating the solder (4). A boss (7) is arranged around the outside of the flange ring (2).

2. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spacing between two adjacent probe placement holes (5) in the two rows of through holes is the same.

3. An 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The two rows of probe placement holes (5) are arranged in a staggered manner.

4. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height of the ceramic insulator (3) is greater than the height of the first annular groove (9).

5. An 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The lower end of the first annular groove (9) is arranged to be inclined downward.

6. An 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The height of the second annular groove (10) is not less than half the height of the ceramic insulator (3).

7. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The boss (7) is arranged outside the second annular groove (10).

8. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The boss (7) is arranged in the middle of the outer surface of the flange ring (2).

9. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ceramic insulator (3) consists of a rectangular block and semicircular blocks symmetrically distributed on both sides of the rectangular block, and the rectangular block and the semicircular block match in shape.

10. The 8-pin ceramic feedthrough for a deep brain stimulator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end of the probe (1) is provided with tin plating (8).

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