Circular Feedthrough Area for Implantable Medical Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional implantable medical devices with rectangular non-conductive units are susceptible to mechanical stress and damage, leading to reliability issues and potential hermetic seal leakage due to their exposure and lack of robustness against impacts.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a sealed flat housing with recessed, circularly shaped feedthrough areas and conductors that are flush with the surface, reducing exposed surface area and enhancing mechanical robustness, along with concentrically arranged feedthrough conductors and a non-conductive component with a small surface area, and a feedthrough ring for form-locking connection, ensuring hermetic sealing and improved mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rectangular non-conductive unit is used for feedthrough conductors, then the connection structure is simple to manufacture, but the unit is susceptible to mechanical stress and damage due to exposed position and rectangular shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by changing the feedthrough area shape from rectangular to circular. The circular shape eliminates sharp corners that are stress concentration points, distributing mechanical stress more evenly across the surface. This geometric transformation directly addresses the mechanical robustness issue while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard circular molding or machining processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by recessing the circular feedthrough area into the housing structure. The feedthrough area is positioned within a recessed region of the housing, creating a nested configuration where the feedthrough conductors are protected by the housing walls. This reduces the exposed surface area and shields the conductors from external mechanical impacts.
2Ease of operation
If the non-conductive unit protrudes from the housing, then electrical connection access is improved, but the unit becomes sensitive to external impacts and mechanical loads
Solution Approach 1:
The feedthrough area is nested within a recessed region of the housing, creating a stepped configuration. The feedthrough conductors extend from the recessed area toward the external environment, maintaining electrical connection accessibility while the recessed housing walls provide mechanical protection against impacts and reduce exposure to harmful external factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating different structural zones: the recessed area provides enhanced mechanical protection for the feedthrough conductors, while the exposed portion maintains electrical connectivity. This localized differentiation allows the structure to simultaneously achieve mechanical robustness in critical areas and operational accessibility in other areas.
3Reliability
If multiple feedthrough conductors are arranged on a small circular area, then the exposed surface area is reduced for better mechanical robustness, but the spacing between conductors is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The circular geometry of the feedthrough area provides uniform radial distribution of conductors from the center, maximizing the use of available space. This radial arrangement on a circular platform allows for optimized spacing compared to rectangular grids, reducing the number of conductors that can be accommodated while maintaining adequate separation distances for reliable connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the three-dimensional recessed structure to provide additional spatial dimensions for conductor arrangement. Conductors can be positioned at different depths and angles within the recessed circular area, effectively using vertical and radial dimensions to maintain adequate spacing while confining the overall footprint to a compact circular region.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of an implantable medical device including a sealed flat housing enclosing an electronic circuitry; a recess area formed on a side surface of the housing; at least one feedthrough area protruding from the recess area; at least one feedthrough area protruding from the recess area; and a plurality of feedthrough conductors cumulated on said feedthrough area, each feedthrough conductor comprising a proximal end part connected to the enclosed electronic circuitry and a distal end part extending from said feedthrough area.