Method of connecting a wire to a feedthrough

• US 10,293,172 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Inventors: Dittmer, Robert, Balasubramanian, Senthil Kumar, Wilhelm, Leoni, Schmitt, Thomas, Kaiser, Thorsten, Asmus, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US15/479,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20170291033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 174650
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3754 Feedthroughs
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/002 specially adapted for particular articles or work
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/004 Welding of a small piece to a great or broad piece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/004 Wire welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 20/106 Features related to sonotrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/32 Wires
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/42 Printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/16 Composite materials , e.g. fibre reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/22 Spot welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/32 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/02 mainly consisting of metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0207 Ultrasonic-, H.F.-, cold- or impact welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0214 Resistance welding H01R43/0228 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0221 Laser welding H01R43/0228 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0091 Housing specially adapted for small components for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H01L23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0247 Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring

Abstract

One aspect relates to a feedthrough system. The feedthrough system includes a feedthrough and a wire. At least a portion of the feedthrough is made of an insulator and at least one area forming an electrically conductive cermet pathway. The cermet pathway may include an electrically conductive metal. The wire may be at least partially connected to the cermet pathway so that the material of the wire forms a joint microstructure with the electrically conductive material in the cermet pathway.

Claims

1. A feedthrough system comprising:

a feedthrough, a wire, and an electrode outside the feedthrough, all introduced into a human or animal body;

wherein the feedthrough comprises an insulator and an electrically conductive cermet pathway;

wherein the cermet pathway comprises an electrically conductive metallic material;

wherein the wire is arranged between the electrode and the cermet pathway;

wherein the wire is at least partially connected to the cermet pathway so that the material of the wire forms a joint microstructure with the electrically conductive material in the cermet pathway such that the material of the cermet pathway and the material of the wire are at least partially mixed with each other, the joint microstructure characterized by the absence of an intervening conductive material between the material of the wire and the electrically conductive material in the cermet pathway;

wherein the wire comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a platinum-iridium alloy and a nickel-cobalt-chromium alloy; and

wherein the connection between the wire and the cermet pathway shows a tensile strength between 500 MPa and 1500 MPa.

2. The feedthrough system of claim 1, wherein the matrix of the material in the at least one area forming an electrically conductive cermet pathway comprises 30 to 90 percent by volume of a metal out of the group consisting of platinum, a platinum alloy, iridium, niobium, molybdenum, titanium, a titanium alloy, cobalt, zirconium, chromium, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, tungsten, a tungsten alloy.

3. The feedthrough system of claim 1, wherein the area forming the electrically conductive cermet pathway has a cross-sectional diameter of up to 5 mm.

4. The feedthrough system of claim 1, wherein the feedthrough comprises a plurality of electrically conductive cermet pathways, and wherein the wire comprises a plurality of wire leads, wherein different leads are connected to different cermet pathways, respectively.

5. The feedthrough system of claim 1, wherein the joint microstructure consists exclusively of the electrically conductive metallic material of the cermet pathway and of the material of the wire, and characterized by the absence of a solder.

6. An implantable medical device comprising:

a feedthrough, a wire, and an electrode outside the feedthrough all introduced into a human or animal body;

wherein the feedthrough comprises an insulator and an electrically conductive cermet pathway;

wherein the cermet pathway comprises an electrically conductive metallic material;

wherein the wire is arranged between the electrode and the cermet pathway; and

wherein the wire is at least partially connected to the cermet pathway so that the material of the wire forms a joint microstructure with the electrically conductive material in the cermet pathway such that the material of the cermet pathway and the material of the wire are at least partially mixed with each other, the joint microstructure characterized by the absence of an intervening conductive material between the material of the wire and the electrically conductive material in the cermet pathway;

an electronic device arranged at least partially in electrical contact with the feedthrough and;

wherein the wire comprises a material selected from a group consisting of a platinum-iridium alloy and a nickel-cobalt-chromium alloy;

wherein the connection between the wire and the cermet pathway shows a tensile strength between 500 MPa and 1500 MPa.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the matrix of the material in the at least one area forming an electrically conductive cermet pathway comprises 30 to 90 percent by volume of a metal out of the group consisting of platinum, a platinum alloy, iridium, niobium, molybdenum, titanium, a titanium alloy, cobalt, zirconium, chromium, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, tungsten, a tungsten alloy.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the area forming the electrically conductive cermet pathway has a cross-sectional diameter of up to 5 mm.