IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING A CONFORMAL COATING AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE

• US 20080004670A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Yang, Zhongping, McVenes, Rick D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45555 applied in non-semiconductor technology

Abstract

An implantable electrical medical device and method for manufacturing the same are provided. The method includes forming a conductive substrate, placing the conductive substrate in a deposition chamber; and forming a conformal coating over the conductive substrate using atomic layer deposition. In various embodiments, the conformal coating is a conductive coating and in other embodiments the conformal coating is a dielectric coating.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an implantable electrical medical device, comprising:

forming a conductive substrate;

placing the substrate in a deposition chamber; and

forming a first conformal coating over at least a portion of the substrate using atomic layer deposition.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive substrate comprises an electrode base.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive substrate comprises a housing of the medical device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein forming the substrate comprises forming a surface area enhanced electrode base.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising assembling the electrode base along one of an elongated lead body and a housing of the implantable medical device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises one of tungsten, a tungsten alloy, stainless steel, and a stainless steel alloy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first conformal coating is a conductive coating being more chemically stable than the substrate and comprising one of:

a carbide, a carbonitride, and a nitride.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a high surface area, low-polarization coating over the conformal coating.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the conformal coating is a dielectric coating comprising a metal oxide.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the conductive substrate is an electrode base and further comprising electrically coupling the electrode base to a conductor, the conductor being electrically coupled to a second electrode used for one of sensing electrical body signals and delivering electrical stimulation pulses.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising forming a second conformal coating over a second portion of the conductive substrate using atomic layer deposition, the second conformal coating being a conductive coating.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the conformal coating comprises forming a patterned coating, wherein forming the patterned coating comprises one of selective deposition of the conformal coating and selective decomposing of the conformal coating.

13. An implantable medical electrical device, comprising:

a conductive substrate,

a first conformal coating formed over at least a portion of the substrate;

an electrical contact, and

an electronics module adapted to be electrically coupled to the substrate via the electrical contact.

14. The device of claim 14, wherein the conformal coating is a conductive coating being more chemically stable than the substrate.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the substrate is an electrode base and further comprising:

an elongated insulative lead body, wherein the electrode base is disposed along the lead body, and

a conductor coupled to the electrode base and extending through the elongated lead body, the conductor being adapted to be electrically coupled to the electrical contact.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the conformal coating is a dielectric coating comprising a metal oxide.

20. The device of claim 14 wherein the substrate comprises one of tungsten, a tungsten alloy, stainless steel, and a stainless steel alloy.

15. The device of claim 15 further comprising a low polarization coating applied over the conformal coating.

18. The device of claim 18 wherein the electrical contact is further electrically coupled to an electrode used for one of sensing electrical body signals and delivering electrical stimulation pulses.

19. The device of claim 18 further comprising a second conformal coating being a conductive coating formed over a second portion of the substrate.