Hollow Cylindrical Sheath for Implantable Electrode Insulation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing implantable electrodes with connecting lines are complex and expensive to produce, and their flexibility is limited, making them difficult to implant due to the need for separate insulation and a preferred deformation direction.

Innovation Solution

The connecting line is embedded within a hollow-cylindrical jacket made of electrically insulating material, eliminating the need for separate insulation and allowing the electrode to be deformable in various directions, reducing production costs and improving implantability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate insulation is used for each connecting line, then electrical insulation is ensured, but the electrode becomes complex and expensive to produce

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical insulationVSAvoidproduction complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple separate insulation layers for individual connecting lines are merged into a single common hollow-cylindrical jacket that accommodates all connecting lines together. This integration eliminates the need for multiple separate insulation components and their associated assembly steps, significantly reducing production complexity while maintaining electrical insulation through the jacket's material properties and structural design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If a ribbon cable is used for the connecting line, then connection is achieved, but the electrode is difficult to implant due to limited flexibility in one direction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection implementationVSAvoidimplantability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rigid ribbon cable structure is replaced with a flexible hollow-cylindrical jacket that can deform in multiple directions. This jacket accommodates the connecting lines while providing omnidirectional flexibility, allowing the electrode to be easily implanted through various tissue paths without the directional deformation limitations of traditional ribbon cables.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple connecting lines are used, then multiple contact elements can be connected, but separate insulation layers increase the diameter of the electrode

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of connectable contact elementsVSAvoidelectrode diameter

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple connecting lines are nested within the single hollow-cylindrical jacket, with each line positioned inside the common insulating structure. This nested arrangement allows multiple conductors to be accommodated in a compact configuration, supporting connections to multiple contact elements while maintaining a minimized electrode diameter that would be impossible with separate insulation layers for each line.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3181187B1Implantable electrode with hollow cylindrical sheath

Publication Date: 2020.02.19 BIOTRONIK SE & CO KG

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Figure 6

AI summary

The invention relates to an implantable electrode (1) and a method for manufacturing an implantable electrode (1). In order to manufacture the implantable electrode (1) simply and inexpensively, the invention provides that a connecting conductor (6) of the electrode (1) is at least partially embedded in a sheath (4) of the electrode (1) and that the sheath (4) is shaped as a hollow cylinder.