Implantable Electrode Layering With Embedded Wires for Mechanical Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable electrodes suffer from mechanically unstable conductor tracks that are fragile and prone to breaking due to their fineness.
Innovation Solution
The implantable electrode design incorporates conducting wires within a sealed cavity of the first layer, fixed directly to electrode contacts, eliminating elongated conductor paths and utilizing a strain relief mechanism to ensure stress relief throughout the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conductor tracks are made fine to reduce space consumption, then area is reduced, but mechanical stability deteriorates and they become fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The electrode device is segmented into multiple layers (first layer with conducting wires, second layer with electrode contacts, third layer as protective coating). This layering allows conducting wires to be embedded within the first layer, protecting them while maintaining fine dimensions. The segmentation enables the device to achieve both small area and high mechanical stability by distributing functional elements across different layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The conducting wires are nested within the first layer, which itself is nested within the multi-layer structure. This nesting approach allows the conducting wires to be protected by the surrounding layers while maintaining a compact overall structure. The electrode contacts in the second layer are positioned to connect with the nested conducting wires, achieving space efficiency without compromising mechanical stability.
2Reliability
If conductor tracks are made elongated to connect electrode contacts, then electrical connection is achieved, but mechanical fragility increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conducting wires are arranged in three-dimensional space within the first layer, utilizing the vertical dimension provided by the multi-layer structure. This allows electrical connections to be made without requiring long horizontal conductor tracks, thereby reducing mechanical fragility. The electrode contacts in the second layer connect to the conducting wires through vertical alignment, achieving electrical connection while minimizing the length of conducting wires exposed to mechanical stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The first layer acts as a flexible shell that encapsulates and protects the conducting wires. This protective layering provides mechanical strength while allowing the conducting wires to maintain their electrical connection function. The thin film structure of the layers ensures flexibility and conformability to the implantation site while protecting the fragile conducting wires from damage.
3Reliability
If conducting wires are exposed to connect to electrode contacts, then electrical connection is achieved, but mechanical protection is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The first layer and second layer act as intermediaries that connect the conducting wires to the electrode contacts while providing mechanical protection. The conducting wires remain embedded within the first layer, which serves as a protective intermediary. The second layer with electrode contacts serves as another intermediary that interfaces with the conducting wires through controlled connections, thereby achieving electrical connection while minimizing direct exposure of conducting wires to mechanical damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-layer structure functions as flexible shells that encapsulate and protect the conducting wires. The first layer provides primary protection, while the second and third layers provide additional protective barriers. This layered shell structure allows the conducting wires to remain protected while still enabling electrical connections to be made through the electrode contacts in the second layer.
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable electrode device is provided comprising a first layer and a second layer, the second layer being on top of the first layer and including at least one electrode contact. The at least one electrode contact is exposable to a nerve of a nervous tissue of a human or of an animal. A connecting means electrically connects the electrode contact, where the connecting means is made up of at least one conducting wire, and the conducting wire is arranged within the first layer and is fixed to the electrode contact. Also provided is a method for forming an implantable electrode device.