Stacked Wire Array for Bio-Implantable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable devices with micro-electric wire arrays face issues with fluid leakage and increased resistance due to poor sealing and electrode positioning, leading to malfunctions and shortened lifetimes.
Innovation Solution
The electric wire array is designed with a substrate and stacked electric wire units, where electrode holes are strategically positioned to minimize resistance and maximize thickness, with varying thickness sections and overlapping electrode holes to enhance structural and electrical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electric wires are connected to multiple electrodes at different positions, then the device can transmit and receive various biological signals, but the resistance in the electric wires increases and the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar arrangement of electric wires to a three-dimensional stacked configuration. Multiple electric wire units are arranged in layers along the thickness direction, with electrode holes positioned at different heights. This vertical stacking allows multiple signal pathways without increasing lateral resistance, as each wire unit has its own dedicated path from electrode to circuit board.
Solution Approach 2:
The electric wire system is divided into multiple independent electric wire units, each handling specific signal pathways. Each unit contains its own electric wires and electrode holes, creating segmented signal transmission channels. This segmentation prevents signal interference and reduces overall resistance by distributing the electrical load across multiple independent pathways rather than relying on a single complex wire network.
2Adaptability or versatility
If electric wires are extended to reach electrodes at various positions, then the device can function with multiple electrodes, but the electric wire length and resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending wires laterally across the device surface to reach distant electrodes, the patent positions electrode holes vertically at different heights within the stacked wire units. This vertical arrangement in the thickness direction reduces the lateral travel distance of electric wires while maintaining connectivity to multiple electrode positions, thereby reducing overall wire length and associated resistance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device is implanted into the living body, then it can perform biomedical functions, but poor sealing causes body fluid leakage into electronic circuits leading to malfunction and shortened lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a encapsulation structure consisting of a lower encapsulation layer and an upper encapsulation layer that seal the electric wire units and electronic circuits. These thin film encapsulation layers create a protective barrier that prevents body fluid from penetrating into the electronic circuits while allowing the device to maintain its biomedical functions. The encapsulation films conform to the device structure and provide continuous sealing across all interfaces.
4Reliability
If the electric wire array is designed with multiple stacked units, then the electrical properties are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into discrete steps for forming each electric wire unit separately. Each unit can be fabricated, tested, and positioned independently before being integrated into the final stacked assembly. This segmented manufacturing approach simplifies the overall process by breaking down the complex task of creating multi-layer wire structures into manageable, repeatable units, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining electrical performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is an electric wire array including: a substrate portion; and a plurality of electric line units being arranged on top of the substrate portion and being stacked on top of each other in a thickness direction, wherein the plurality of electric wire units each comprise: a plurality of electric wires being arranged on top of the substrate portion in such a manner to extend in a length direction; and a plurality of electrode holes being positioned in respective first end portions, respectively, of the plurality of electric wires, and being exposed, wherein the plurality of electrode holes are arranged in such a manner as to be positioned a distance apart from each other along the length direction and being sequentially arranged in a successive manner along the thickness direction, and wherein the thickness direction is a direction from the substrate portion to the electric wire unit, and the length direction is a direction vertical to the thickness direction.