Silicon Substrate Feedthrough for Hermetic Implantable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices face challenges in establishing reliable and hermetically sealed electrical communication pathways between internal circuitry and external electronic components, which is crucial for effective monitoring and stimulation of cardiac or neural functions without compromising the device's integrity against bodily fluids.
Innovation Solution
A substrate-based feedthrough system, fabricated using materials like silicon, which provides electrically-isolated pathways and can be hermetically sealed with the device housing, allowing for the integration of additional circuitry and sensors to enhance functionality and prevent fluid ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional feedthrough methods are used to establish electrical communication pathways, then device integrity against bodily fluids can be maintained, but reliable electrical communication between internal circuitry and external electronic components is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is hermetically sealed within the housing to create nested protective layers. The feedthrough structure embeds electrical pathways within the substrate material itself, creating a nested configuration where conductive elements are enclosed within the hermetically sealed substrate, which is then enclosed within the housing. This nested structure provides multiple barriers against fluid ingress while maintaining electrical communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate acts as an intermediary element between the internal circuitry and external electronic components. It provides a hermetically sealed interface that mediates the connection between the internal environment (protected from fluids) and external environment (exposed to bodily fluids), allowing electrical signals to pass through while blocking fluid penetration.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hermetic sealing is implemented to prevent fluid ingress, then device integrity is maintained, but electrical communication pathways become difficult to establish
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical communication pathways and hermetic sealing functions are merged into a single integrated substrate structure. The substrate simultaneously provides both the electrical connection pathways (through embedded conductors or traces) and the hermetic seal (through its material properties and bonding interfaces), eliminating the need for separate sealing and electrical connection components.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate utilizes composite material structures combining conductive and insulating materials in a single component. This allows the creation of integrated circuits and pathways within the substrate while maintaining hermetic sealing properties, as the composite structure enables both electrical functionality and fluid barrier capabilities in one element.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional circuitry and sensors are integrated to enhance functionality, then monitoring and stimulation capabilities are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides hermetic sealing, establishes electrical pathways, supports integrated circuitry, and accommodates sensors. This multi-functional design allows the single substrate component to handle sealing, electrical connection, and signal processing tasks, reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
Additional circuitry and sensors are integrated within the substrate structure itself, creating a nested configuration where functional elements are embedded within the hermetically sealed substrate. This nesting approach allows enhanced functionality to be added without increasing external device dimensions or requiring additional external components, as the complexity is contained within the substrate's internal structure.
Data Source
AI summary
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods to fabricate and operate an implantable medical device. The implantable medical device can include a housing portion defining an interior chamber. The implantable medical device can include a circuit in the interior chamber. The implantable medical device can include a first electronic component that is not in the interior chamber. The implantable medical device can include a substrate coupled to the housing, the substrate including a first via extending through the substrate, the first via electrically coupling the first electronic component to the circuit.