METHOD FOR PRODUCING A STIMULATION ELECTRODE

• US 20110014399A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: WC Heraeus GmbH (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Inventors: Krüger, Frank, LEITOLD, Christiane, WACHTER, Hans-Jürgen, SPECHT, Heiko, FRERICKS, Matthias, KEITEL, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,298,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/586
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0565 Electrode heads

Abstract

A stimulation electrode is provided having an electrically conducting electrode base member which is partially covered with an electrically insulating ceramic layer. The ceramic layer is formed of an oxide and/or an oxynitride of at least one metal of the group of titanium, niobium. tantalum, zirconium, aluminum and silicon. Various methods are provided for production of the stimulation electrode, including methods in which the ceramic layer is formed in situ by a thermal, chemical or electrochemical oxidation or oxynitridation process. The stimulation electrode may be used as a cardiac pacemaker electrode, a neuro-stimulation electrode, or another human implant.

Claims

1. A method for producing a stimulation electrode comprising an electrically conducting electrode base member partially covered with an electrically insulating ceramic layer, wherein the ceramic layer (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g) is formed of an oxide and/or an oxynitride of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium. tantalum, zirconium, aluminum, and silicon, and wherein the electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) is further at least partially coated with an electrically conducting layer (4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g) comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, niobium nitride, tantalum nitride, zirconium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, vanadium nitride, iridium oxide, and an alloy of platinum and iridium, wherein the iridium portion of the alloy is ≧

21 wt. % and the platinum portion of the alloy is ≧

about 100 ppm, wherein the electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) is made of tantalum, and the ceramic layer (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g) is formed by at least partially oxidizing the tantalum electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) to tantalum oxide by thermal or electrochemical oxidation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal oxidation takes place by a laser.

3. A method for producing a stimulation electrode comprising an electrically conducting electrode base member partially covered with an electrically insulating ceramic layer, wherein the ceramic layer (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g) is formed of an oxide and/or an oxynitride of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, aluminum, and silicon, and wherein the electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) is further at least partially coated with an electrically conducting layer (4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g) comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, niobium nitride, tantalum nitride, zirconium nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, vanadium nitride, iridium oxide, and an alloy of platinum and iridium, wherein the iridium portion of the alloy is ≧

21 wt. % and the platinum portion of the alloy is ≧

about 100 ppm, wherein the electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) is made of titanium, and the ceramic layer (3, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g) is formed by at least partially oxidizing the titanium electrode base member (2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 2g) to titanium oxide by thermal or electrochemical oxidation.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the thermal oxidation takes place by a laser.