Ceramic Housing Feedthrough for Compact Rechargeable Implants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional active medical devices with metallic housings face space constraints due to the inclusion of charging coils and terminal blocks in the header, making them bulky and difficult to implant, and there is a need for a smaller, less invasive device powered by a rechargeable electrochemical cell.
Innovation Solution
The device housing is made from ceramic material, allowing the charging coil to be housed inside, with a charging circuit that converts RF or inductive energy into direct current to power a rechargeable electrical power source, and a glass-to-metal seal to ensure hermeticity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a metallic housing is used with charging coil and terminal blocks in the header, then the device can be powered by a rechargeable electrochemical cell, but the device size increases and becomes bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The charging coil is extracted from the header and placed inside the device housing, removing the space-consuming external charging mechanism while maintaining rechargeable power source functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The charging coil is integrated with the PCB assembly inside the housing, combining the power reception function with the existing electronic circuit board rather than requiring separate header mounting
2Volume of moving object
If the charging coil is housed inside the device housing, then the device size is reduced, but the housing material must allow RF or inductive energy to penetrate through
Solution Approach 1:
A ceramic housing material is used that combines the benefits of non-conductive properties (allowing RF/inductive energy penetration) with structural integrity and hermetic sealing capabilities, creating a composite solution that satisfies both size reduction and manufacturing requirements
3Volume of moving object
If a ceramic housing is used to house the charging coil inside, then space is saved in the header, but hermetic sealing becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
A ferrule serves as an intermediary component between the ceramic housing and the PCB assembly, providing a metal-to-ceramic hermetic seal that ensures reliability while allowing the charging coil to be housed inside the compact ceramic structure
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 configuration reduces the device's size, making it easier to implant and less bothersome, while maintaining functionality for electrical stimulation and biological signal sensing.
Implementation Method 1
The charging circuit is configured to convert RF or inductive energy received from the charging coil into a direct current voltage to charge the rechargeable electrical power source
Implementation Method 2
a ceramic material permits RF or inductive energy to penetrate through the housing to reach the charging coil
Data Source
AI summary
An active medical device comprises a ceramic housing having an annular rim surrounding an opening. A housing ferrule sealed to the annular rim has a ferrule opening. A PCB assembly contained inside the housing comprises a printed circuit board supporting a plurality of electronic components that are connected to electrical terminations. An electrical power source inside the ceramic housing powers the electronic components. The insulator of a glass-to-metal seal (GTMS) supports a plurality of terminal pins, and the device side portion of a terminal pin is connected to a respective one of the electrical terminations of the PCB assembly. This connects a terminal pin to an electronic component of the PCB assembly. Then, the GTMS ferrule is sealed to the housing ferrule so that the GTMS closes the opening of the ceramic housing containing the PCB assembly.