MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY HAVING CONTOURED ELECTRODE CONTACT SURFACES

• US 20110126410A1
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Gibson, Peter, Capcelea, Edmond, Dadd, Fysh
• Granted Patent: US 8,782,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/885
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/0058 removing material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0055 Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49158 with molding of insulated base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4916 Simultaneous circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 forming array of contacts or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49224 with coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53204 Electrode

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly. The method comprises: forming a comb having a plurality of electrode contacts, wherein the surface of at least one of the electrode contacts comprises a plurality of indentations such that the effective surface area per area unit of a center region of the at least one electrode contact is larger than the effective surface area per area unit of the of the region of the surface outside the center region; assembling an array of electrode contacts from the comb; molding a carrier member about the assembled array of electrode contacts, wherein a surface of the at least one electrode contact is covered by a layer of the carrier member material; and removing the layer of carrier member material on the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an electrode assembly, the method comprising:

contouring the surface of at least one electrode contact;

depositing a protective coating on the contoured surface;

molding a carrier member about the array of electrode contacts, wherein the contoured surface of the at least one electrode contact is covered by a layer of the carrier member material; and

removing the protective coating and the layer of carrier member material on the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a biocompatible substrate;

contouring the substrate to form designated electrode contact areas, wherein the designated contact areas each have a plurality of indentations formed therein;

depositing a protective coating on the contoured substrate;

cutting the coating around the designated electrode contact areas; and

removing the coating from the regions of the substrate outside the designated electrode contact regions.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

punching a comb from the base substrate; and

shaping the comb to form u-shaped electrode contacts.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a biocompatible base substrate;

contouring the substrate to form designated electrode contact areas, wherein the designated contact areas each have a plurality of indentations formed therein;

depositing a dissolvable layer of material on the contoured substrate;

cutting the layer around the designated electrode contact areas; and

removing the layer from the regions of the substrate outside the designated electrode contact regions.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

punching a comb from the base substrate; and

shaping the comb to form u-shaped electrode contacts.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein depositing a protective coating on the contoured surface comprises:

depositing a parylene layer on the patterned substrate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

contouring the surface such that the effective surface area per area unit of a center region of the at least one electrode contact is larger than the effective surface area per area unit of the of the region of the surface outside the center region

8. The method of claim 7, wherein contouring the surface comprises:

forming a pattern of indentations such that the effective surface area per area unit of a region of the surface outside the center region decreases from the center region towards edges of the at least one electrode contact.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein contouring the surface comprises:

modifying one or more portions of the surface outside of the center region such that each portion has a different effective surface area per area unit, wherein the portion adjacent the center region has a greater effective surface area per area unit than any other of the one or more portions.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

laser ablating the surface of at least one electrode contact with a laser beam.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein laser ablating the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

impacting the surface with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

chemically etching the at least one electrode contact.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

applying electric discharges between an electrode discharge machine (EDM) cutting tool and the at least one electrode contact.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

applying an acidic wash to the at least one electrode surface.

15. The method of claim 1, removing the protective coating from the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

dissolving the protective coating.

16. A system for manufacturing an electrode assembly comprising:

means for contouring the surface of at least one electrode contact;

means for depositing a protective coating on the contoured surface;

means for molding a carrier member about the array of electrode contacts, wherein the contoured surface of the at least one electrode contact is covered by a layer of the carrier member material; and

means for removing the protective coating and the layer of carrier member material on the surface of the at least one electrode contact.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing a biocompatible substrate;

means for contouring the substrate to form designated electrode contact areas, wherein the designated contact areas each have a plurality of indentations formed therein;

means for depositing a protective coating on the contoured substrate;

means for cutting the coating around the designated electrode contact areas; and

means for removing the coating from the regions of the substrate outside the designated electrode contact regions.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for punching a comb from the base substrate; and

means for shaping the comb to form u-shaped electrode contacts.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

means for providing a biocompatible base substrate;

means for contouring the substrate to form designated electrode contact areas, wherein the designated contact areas each have a plurality of indentations formed therein;

means for depositing a dissolvable layer of material on the contoured substrate;

means for cutting the layer around the designated electrode contact areas; and

means for removing the layer from the regions of the substrate outside the designated electrode contact regions.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

means for punching a comb from the base substrate; and

means for shaping the comb to form u-shaped electrode contacts.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for depositing a protective coating on the contoured surface comprises:

means for depositing a parylene layer on the patterned substrate.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for contouring the surface such that the effective surface area per area unit of a center region of the at least one electrode contact is larger than the effective surface area per area unit of the of the region of the surface outside the center region

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the means contouring the surface comprises:

means for forming a pattern of indentations such that the effective surface area per area unit of a region of the surface outside the center region decreases from the center region towards edges of the at least one electrode contact.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the means for contouring the surface comprises:

means for modifying one or more portions of the surface outside of the center region such that each portion has a different effective surface area per area unit, wherein the portion adjacent the center region has a greater effective surface area per area unit than any other of the one or more portions.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for laser ablating the surface of at least one electrode contact with a laser beam.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for laser ablating the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for impacting the surface with a laser beam from an excimer laser.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

chemically etching the at least one electrode contact.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for applying electric discharges between an electrode discharge machine (EDM) cutting tool and the at least one electrode contact.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for contouring the surface of the at least one electrode contact comprises:

means for applying an acidic wash to the at least one electrode surface.

30. The system of claim 16, the means for removing the protective coating from the at least one electrode contact, comprises:

means for dissolving the protective coating.