Laser Structured Coated Electrical Conductor for Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical conductors used in medical devices, especially at lower frequencies (0.1 Hz to 100 Hz), suffer from high impedance, low charge storage capacity, and poor long-term stability, leading to issues such as inflammation and reduced signal accuracy due to detachment of coating layers and inadequate adhesion.
Innovation Solution
An electrical conductor with a first layer featuring micro and macro protrusions in an alternating pattern, coated with an electrically conducting polymer, where the coating layer covers at least 50% of the first layer, enhancing adhesion and stability, and a method involving laser ablation to create depressions and apply the coating layer simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a coating layer is applied to improve charge storage capacity, then the charge storage capacity increases, but the coating layer may detach under mechanical stresses and forces
Solution Approach 1:
The first layer undergoes laser structuring to create micro and macro protrusions before coating application. These pre-formed structural features ensure the coating layer adheres strongly to the substrate, preventing detachment during mechanical stresses such as insertion, withdrawal, or handling of the medical device
Solution Approach 2:
The laser structuring creates localized micro protrusions (0.1-10 μm) and macro protrusions (10-100 μm) at specific locations on the first layer surface. These localized structural variations provide targeted adhesion points that distribute mechanical stresses, allowing the coating to maintain both high charge storage capacity and mechanical robustness
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
The solution significantly reduces impedance, increases charge storage capacity, and improves long-term stability, ensuring better adhesion and mechanical robustness, thus enhancing the accuracy and reliability of medical devices like cardiac defibrillators and heart catheter mapping tools.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one laser beam is operated to ablate the first layer, wherein the ablation produces a first set of depressions in the first layer
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical conductor has a first layer, wherein the first layer is electrically conducting, and has micro protrusions, macro protrusions, wherein the micro protrusions are arranged on the macro protrusions, a first set of depressions, wherein the first set of depressions comprises at least two longitudinal depressions; the macro protrusions and the at least two longitudinal depressions are arranged in an alternating pattern, at least one coating layer, wherein the at least one coating layer comprises an electrically conducting polymer, touches the first layer, at least partially covers the first layer; wherein at least 50% of the macro protrusions have a width, measured along a first direction in the range of 2.0 mm to 40.0 mm and at least 50% of the micro protrusions have a width, measured along the first direction, in the range of 0.001 mm to 1.000 mm.