Capacitive Feedthrough Device for Implantable Medical Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices face leakage issues due to inadequate sealing at feedthrough devices, leading to device failure and reduced service life, despite existing complex sealing processes like brazing.
Innovation Solution
A feedthrough device design featuring a feedthrough substrate with capacitively coupled conductors, where the conductors do not penetrate the substrate, eliminating the need for brazing and preventing fluid leakage by blocking direct current without the need for additional capacitors on the electronic circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brazing is used to join the housing and feedthrough substrate, then sealing is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/thermal brazing process with a capacitive coupling system. Instead of physically joining components through high-temperature brazing, the invention uses electrical capacitive coupling between conductive elements on opposite sides of the feedthrough substrate, eliminating the need for complex thermal processing while maintaining sealing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedthrough substrate acts as an intermediary barrier that physically separates the housing from external components while the capacitive coupling provides electrical connection. This intermediary structure prevents body fluid leakage paths that would otherwise require brazing to seal, as the substrate itself blocks fluid penetration while allowing electrical signal transmission through capacitance.
2Reliability
If brazing is used to join the feedthrough substrate and feedthrough conductors, then sealing is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for brazing operations by replacing physical joining with capacitive coupling. The feedthrough conductors are positioned on opposite sides of the insulating substrate and electrically coupled through capacitance rather than thermal bonding, simplifying manufacturing by removing high-temperature processing steps and associated quality control requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function and electrical connection function into a single integrated structure. The feedthrough substrate simultaneously provides fluid barrier protection and the capacitive coupling provides electrical continuity, combining what were previously separate functions requiring separate brazing operations into one unified component assembly.
3Reliability
If feedthrough conductors penetrate the feedthrough substrate, then electrical connection is achieved, but leakage paths are created
Solution Approach 1:
The feedthrough substrate serves as an intermediary barrier that blocks body fluid while allowing electrical signal transmission. Instead of conductors penetrating through and creating potential leakage paths, the substrate remains intact as a continuous barrier, and electrical coupling is achieved through capacitive fields that pass through the insulating material without physical penetration.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedthrough substrate functions as a thin film barrier that maintains sealing integrity. By using the substrate as a continuous insulating layer rather than allowing conductor penetration, the system creates a fluid-tight barrier similar to how flexible membranes provide sealing while allowing signal transmission through capacitive coupling across the film thickness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively prevents fluid leakage and simplifies electronic circuit integration by eliminating the need for complex sealing processes, ensuring reliable operation of implantable medical devices.
Implementation Method 1
bodies of the first and second feedthrough conductors corresponding to each other are arranged to be capacitively coupled with each other
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a feedthrough device including: a feedthrough substrate made of an insulator and having a first surface and a second surface; at least one first feedthrough conductor having a terminal exposed to the first surface of the feedthrough substrate and a body connected to the terminal and not exposed to the outside of the feedthrough substrate; and at least one second feedthrough conductor having a terminal exposed to the second surface of the feedthrough substrate and a body connected to the terminal and not exposed to the outside of the feedthrough substrate, and corresponding to the first feedthrough conductor in a one-to-one manner to be paired therewith, wherein a body of each first feedthrough conductor and a body of each second feedthrough conductor corresponding thereto are arranged to be capacitively coupled with each other.