Biocompatible Implantable Sensor With Silicon Hermetic Seal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Active implantable medical devices face challenges in achieving long-term biocompatibility and hermeticity without the use of expensive titanium cases and bulky components, while also requiring miniaturization and cost-effective mass production, especially for sensors that come into contact with bodily fluids.

Innovation Solution

A biocompatible component with a silicon base substrate and a hermetically sealed silicon cover, using biocompatible metallic pads and vias for electrical connections, and employing Thin Film Packaging (TFP) techniques to ensure biocompatibility and hermeticity, allowing for remote power supply and data exchange via RF links without increasing technological complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a titanium housing with ceramic feedthroughs is used to ensure biocompatibility and hermeticity, then the sensor meets strict biocompatibility and sealing requirements, but the component becomes bulky and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiocompatibility and hermeticityVSAvoidcomponent size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the titanium housing and ceramic feedthroughs from the sensor assembly, extracting only the essential hermetic sealing function and implementing it through a different mechanism (laser welding of the cannula to the connector assembly) that allows for miniaturization while maintaining biocompatibility and hermeticity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a traditional enclosed housing structure to a dimensionally optimized design where the cannula itself serves as both the structural element and the hermetic seal, with the laser weld creating a sealed barrier that eliminates the need for separate housing and feedthrough components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If a titanium housing with ceramic feedthroughs is used to ensure biocompatibility and hermeticity, then the sensor meets strict biocompatibility and sealing requirements, but manufacturing costs increase due to delicate technology and expensive components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebiocompatibility and hermeticityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive titanium housing and ceramic feedthroughs with a more economical construction using a connector assembly and cannula that can be manufactured at lower cost, while maintaining the required hermetic seal and biocompatibility through laser welding technology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the connector assembly serves as both the structural housing and the hermetic seal, while the laser welding process simultaneously joins components and creates the sealed barrier, eliminating the need for separate ceramic feedthroughs and reducing assembly complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a titanium housing is used to ensure biocompatibility, then the sensor meets safety requirements, but the component cannot be miniaturized for small-diameter probes

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovebiocompatibilityVSAvoidprobe diameter

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the biocompatibility function from the titanium housing and implements it through a connector assembly and cannula design that provides the necessary biocompatible barrier while allowing for much smaller dimensions suitable for venous catheterization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a thin-walled connector assembly and cannula structure that provides the necessary biocompatible barrier function while being flexible enough to fit within small-diameter probes for venous catheterization, replacing the rigid titanium housing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP1903000B1Implantable biocompatible component including an integrated active element such as a sensor for measuring a physiological parameter, electromechanical microsystem or electronic circuit

Publication Date: 2019.09.18 SORIN CRM

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Figure 4(a)~4(g)
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AI summary

This component (10) comprises a substrate (12) and a cover (22) made of silicon or quartz. It is essentially devoid of a metallic housing for isolating the element from the external environment, and of insulating feedthroughs for electrical connection to the element. The substrate and cover can be directly sealed to each other by their opposite faces, or with the interposition of a sealing ring made of biocompatible material. An active element (14) is integrated into the substrate (12), and metallic pads (16) are formed on a face of the substrate opposite the face on which this active element (14) is integrated. The substrate includes vias (20) for connecting these metallic pads (16) to conductors (18) in contact with the active element (14), these vias being etched through the substrate (12) and filled with a metal.