Zigzag Stretchable Electrode Conductor for Medical Implants
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing expandable electrode arrays in medical implants face limitations due to tensile forces between conductive layers and stretchable materials, leading to conductor lift-off and reduced service life, especially with frequent elongations.
Innovation Solution
An electrode conductor arrangement featuring a carrier and cover made from substantially inextensible materials, cut in a zigzag or meandering shape to match the conductor tracks, minimizing tensile forces and ensuring long-term reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conductive layers are applied to stretchable materials and encapsulated within them, then the electrode array can be stretched, but tensile forces arise between the metal layers and the stretchable base material, limiting the maximum number of stretching cycles and maximum strains
Solution Approach 1:
The base material is segmented into multiple discrete support structures (posts or pillars) rather than a continuous stretchable layer. These segmented supports allow localized deformation while maintaining overall structural integrity, preventing the tensile forces that would cause conductor detachment in a continuous stretchable material.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structures are given a curved or rounded geometry (spheroidal posts or pillars) rather than flat planar surfaces. This curvature allows the supports to flex and deform elastically during stretching cycles, absorbing mechanical stress without creating concentrated tensile forces at the conductor-interface boundary.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the base material is made stretchable to allow elongation, then the electrode array can expand, but the maximum number of stretching cycles is limited due to conductor lift-off
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid or semi-rigid support structures are positioned beforehand to provide mechanical cushioning and stress distribution before stretching occurs. These pre-positioned supports absorb and distribute the mechanical stresses of stretching, preventing the cumulative damage that would lead to conductor lift-off after multiple cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
While the overall base material is stretchable, the conductor support structures use rigid or semi-rigid materials that provide a flexible yet stable platform. This creates a hierarchical structure where the thin film conductors remain stable on rigid supports, while the overall assembly can still expand through the flexible base material.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conductive traces are laid out on stretchable base material, then the electrode array can be expanded, but tensile forces can cause the conductive traces to detach, creating migration paths for electrolytes
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid or semi-rigid support structures serve as an intermediary between the stretchable base material and the conductive traces. This intermediate layer decouples the mechanical deformation of the base material from the conductor layer, preventing direct tensile forces from acting on the conductors and eliminating the pathways for electrolyte migration that would otherwise form during stretching.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Stretchable electrode conductor arrangement for a medical implant, comprising at least one zigzag or meandering conductor on an insulating carrier and with an insulating cover tightly connected to the carrier with embedding of the conductor, wherein the carrier is made of a substantially non-stretchable material and is cut in a zigzag or meandering shape to conform to the contour of the conductor or conductors.