Coiled Flexible PCB for Implantable Multi-Pole Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable electric connection structures require significant installation space and cause patient stress due to their complexity and rigidity, especially when dealing with a large number of electrical feed and discharge lines.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, film-like, electrically non-conductive strip-shaped surface element is used to connect an arbitrary number of electrical feed lines to an implant, wound around a cylinder axis to minimize additional space requirements and adapt to intra-corporeal conditions, with electrodes on one or both surfaces connected to wires via soldering or bonding, and protected by a biocompatible sheath.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of electrical feed and discharge lines are assembled into a flexible cable with an interface structure, then the implant can be connected to a control unit, but the installation space required for the interface increases and the patient experiences more stress and irritation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar interface structure to a three-dimensional coiled structure. The flexible printed circuit board is wound into a coil, allowing the electrical connections to be arranged in a compact volumetric configuration rather than requiring a large planar area. This dimensional transformation enables the same number of electrical feed lines to be accommodated in a significantly reduced space, directly resolving the contradiction between connectability and installation space.
Solution Approach 2:
The coiled structure effectively nests the flexible printed circuit board within itself, with each turn of the coil containing and protecting the electrical traces. This nested arrangement allows the electrical connections to be packed efficiently in a compact form factor, reducing the overall installation space required while maintaining all necessary electrical pathways for control unit connectivity.
2Reliability
If a rigid interface structure with multiple electrical connections is used, then electrical power and control signals can be transmitted, but the patient stress and irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible printed circuit board instead of a rigid interface structure. This flexible film maintains reliable electrical connections for power and control signals while conforming to the contours of the implant and surrounding tissue. The flexibility eliminates the mechanical stress and irritation that would be caused by a rigid structure, directly addressing the contradiction between reliable signal transmission and patient comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameter of the interface structure from rigid to flexible. This parameter change allows the interface to adapt to physiological movements and tissue deformation without compromising electrical connectivity. The flexible material maintains electrical reliability while eliminating the harmful mechanical stress that would otherwise be imposed on the patient's body.
3Reliability
If the interface region is made moisture-resistant with impermeable materials, then the electrical connections are protected, but the installation space and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible printed circuit board itself serves as the moisture barrier, with the flexible polymer substrate providing inherent impermeability to bodily fluids. This integrated approach eliminates the need for separate rigid enclosures or complex sealing mechanisms, achieving reliable moisture protection while maintaining a simple, low-complexity structure that reduces installation space requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an implantable electric multi-pole connection between an electric implant and an electric feed and discharge structure. The invention is characterised in that a flexible, film-like, electrically non-conductive, strip-shaped surface element is arranged between the implant and the feed and discharge structure. The surface element comprises at least one first surface, on which a number of electrodes n greater than of equal to two is arranged, which are respectively connected to the electric implant by means of electric connection conductors extending at least in parts inside the surface element. The electric feed and discharge structure comprises at least n lines which are electrically insulated from each other and which are electrically connected to one of the n electrodes. The strip-shaped surface element is wound around a winding axis, which adopts the shape of a helix, along a cover surface of a virtual cylinder provided with a cylinder axis which is straight or curved at least in sections.