Laser-Bonded Feedthrough for Implantable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable medical devices face challenges in maintaining stable electrical coupling through hermetically sealed enclosures, particularly due to high temperature requirements for bonding corrosion-resistant materials, which can cause material stress and require ferrules or glasses.
Innovation Solution
A feedthrough assembly with a non-conductive substrate and conductive material within a via, where the external contact is laser-bonded to the substrate, eliminating the need for ferrules and high-temperature processes, and allowing for internal metallization and electronic device integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high temperature bonding processes are used to join corrosion-resistant conductive materials with corrosion-resistant insulative materials, then reliable hermetic sealing is achieved, but material stress and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature (traditional brazing/soldering) to low-temperature laser bonding, achieving hermetic sealing without the material stress caused by thermal expansion and contraction during high-temperature processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/thermal bonding methods (brazing, soldering) with laser bonding, using concentrated laser energy to create localized bonds without heating the entire assembly, thereby reducing material stress
2Reliability
If traditional ferrule and glass insulator assemblies are used for electrical feedthroughs, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the ferrule, insulator, and electrical contact functions into a single integrated substrate assembly, eliminating the need for separate ferrules and glass insulators while maintaining hermetic sealing through laser-bonded contacts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate components (ferrules, glass insulators) from the traditional feedthrough assembly, retaining only the essential functional elements (substrate, via, conductive material, external contact)
3Strength
If high temperature bonding processes are used, then strong bonds are formed, but internal metallization and electronic device integration become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary metallization of the via before the bonding process, allowing conductive materials to be deposited and patterned on the substrate while maintaining low processing temperatures that are compatible with subsequent electronic device integration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding temperature parameter to low temperature, enabling the use of temperature-sensitive materials and processes for internal metallization and electronic device integration that would be damaged by high-temperature bonding
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 solution provides a stable, low-stress, and hermetically sealed electrical pathway that supports the integration of electronic components within implantable medical devices, enhancing their reliability and functionality without the need for high-temperature bonding or ferrules.
Implementation Method 1
The external contact is hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by a laser bond surrounding the via
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Various embodiments of an implantable medical device system and methods of forming such systems are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the implantable medical device system includes a housing, electronics disposed within the housing, and a feedthrough assembly attached to a sidewall of the housing and electrically coupled to the electronics. The feedthrough assembly can include a non-conductive substrate and a feedthrough. The feedthrough can include a via from an outer surface to an inner surface of the non-conductive substrate, a conductive material disposed in the via, and an external contact disposed over the via on the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate, where the external contact is electrically coupled to the conductive material disposed in the via. In one or more embodiments, the external contact is hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by a laser bond surrounding the via.