Method and apparatus for providing hermetic electrical feedthrough
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating a hermetic electrical feedthrough comprising:
- providing an unfired ceramic sheet having upper and lower surfaces;
forming a blind hole in said ceramic sheet extending from said upper surface toward said lower surface;
inserting a wire into said blind hole;
firing said sheet and wire to a temperature sufficient to sinter the sheet material and cause it to form a hermetic compression seal around said wire; and
removing sufficient sheet material from said sheet lower surface to expose said wire.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus suitable for forming hermetic electrical feedthroughs in a ceramic sheet having a thickness of ≦40 mils. More particularly, the method yields an apparatus including a hermetic electrical feedthrough which is both biocompatible and electrochemically stable and suitable for implantation in a patient'"'"'s body. The method involves:
(a) providing an unfired, ceramic sheet having a thickness of ≦40 mils and preferably comprising >99% aluminum oxide;
(b) forming multiple blind holes in said sheet;
(c) inserting solid wires, preferably of platinum, in said holes;
(d) firing the assembly of sheet and wires to a temperature sufficient to sinter the sheet material but insufficient to melt the wires; and
(e) removing sufficient material from the sheet lower surface so that the lower ends of said wires are flush with the finished sheet lower surface.
92 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A method of fabricating a hermetic electrical feedthrough comprising:
-
providing an unfired ceramic sheet having upper and lower surfaces;
forming a blind hole in said ceramic sheet extending from said upper surface toward said lower surface;
inserting a wire into said blind hole;
firing said sheet and wire to a temperature sufficient to sinter the sheet material and cause it to form a hermetic compression seal around said wire; and
removing sufficient sheet material from said sheet lower surface to expose said wire. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method of forming multiple hermetic electrical feedthroughs comprising the sequential steps of:
-
forming multiple blind holes in an unfired sheet of ceramic material, each hole extending from an upper sheet surface to a hole floor spaced from the lower surface of said sheet;
inserting a wire into each hole so that the lower end of each wire is supported on a hole floor;
firing said sheet and wires to shrink said ceramic material to form a hermetic compression seal around each wire; and
removing ceramic material from said sheet lower surface to said hole floors to expose the lower ends of said wires. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
18. A hermetic electrical feedthrough comprising:
-
a sheet of ceramic material having upper and lower parallel surfaces spaced by less than 40 mils;
at least one wire extending through said sheet; and
whereinsaid ceramic material forms a hermetic seal around said wire.
-
-
28. A hermetic electrical feedthrough comprising:
-
a sheet of ceramic material having upper and lower parallel surfaces spaced by less than about 40 mils;
at least one wire extending through said sheet;
said ceramic material forming a hermetic seal around said wire; and
whereinsaid wire has a diameter of less than 10 mils.
-
Specification