Stitched Conductive Filaments in Active Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) face challenges in creating reliable, biocompatible, and efficient electrical connections between implantable components and tissue interfaces, particularly in delivering and receiving electrical stimulation signals without causing tissue damage or compromising the device's hermetic seal.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a biocompatible, electrically non-conductive and needle-piercable base with biocompatible electrically conductive filaments stitched or sewn into patterns to connect components, allowing for secure and reliable transmission and reception of signals, using techniques such as lock stitches and modified lock stitches to secure the filaments without compromising the base's integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductive filaments are stitched into the non-conductive base to create electrical connections, then electrical connectivity between components is improved, but the risk of tissue damage and compromise to hermetic seal increases
Solution Approach 1:
A non-conductive base material serves as an intermediary between the conductive filaments and the implantable components/tissue interface. The base provides mechanical support and electrical isolation, allowing conductive filaments to be stitched through it to create electrical connections without direct exposure of conductive elements to tissue, thereby preventing tissue damage while maintaining hermetic seal integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The non-conductive base is selectively stitched with conductive filaments only at specific locations where electrical connections are needed, rather than being uniformly conductive. This localized approach creates electrical connectivity precisely where required while maintaining electrical isolation in other areas, reducing the overall risk to tissue and hermetic seal
2Reliability
If conductive filaments are stitched into the non-conductive base, then electrical connections between components are achieved, but the structural integrity of the base may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The non-conductive base is constructed as a flexible, thin-film structure that can accommodate needle penetration for stitching conductive filaments without compromising overall structural integrity. The flexible nature of the base material allows it to deform during stitching and then return to its original state, maintaining strength while enabling electrical connections
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex stitching patterns are used to connect multiple components, then electrical signal transmission and reception capability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-conductive base is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate various stitching patterns and configurations of conductive filaments to create different electrical connection topologies. The same base structure and stitching process can be used to create simple or complex electrical networks, allowing the device to achieve multiple signal transmission capabilities without requiring fundamentally different manufacturing approaches
Data Source
AI summary
An active implantable medical device (AIMD) comprising an implantable electronics module and a tissue interface. At least one of the electronics module and the tissue interface comprises an electrically non-conductive, biocompatible and needle-piercable base having one or more biocompatible electrically conductive strands of conductive filaments stitched to the base. As used herein, stitching a conductive filament to a base refers to sewing, embroidering or otherwise securing the filament to the base through the use of hand or machine needlework.