Electronics Package Suitable for Implantation

• US 20120185025A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (Vivani Medical, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc. (Vivani Medical, Inc.)
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert, Ok, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92125 the second connecting process involving a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/057 the leads being parallel to the base
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/10 characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts, e.g. between cap and base of the container or between leads and walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09127 PCB or component having an integral separable or breakable part
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10295 Metallic connector elements partly mounted in a hole of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10977 Encapsulated connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0733 Method for plating stud vias, i.e. massive vias formed by plating the bottom of a hole without plating on the walls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1446 Treatment after insertion of lead into hole, e.g. bending, cutting, caulking or curing of adhesive but excluding soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 : by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/328 : by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 : Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4015 : using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. pieces of metal foil, metallic spheres
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/423 : characterised by electroplating method
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4652 : Adding a circuit layer by laminating a metal foil or a preformed metal foil pattern H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 : Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, such as for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a plated rivet-shaped connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprising:

a first substrate containing a first electrically conductive pad on a first side of said first substrate;

a first flexible electrically insulating layer on said first side of said substrate;

a flexible electrically conducting layer on said first flexible electrically insulating layer wherein at least a portion of said flexible electrically conducting layer electrically contacts said first conductive pad;

a second flexible electrically insulating layer on said flexible electrically conductive layer and said first flexible electrical insulating layer;

a second substrate containing a second conductive pad on a first side of said second substrate,

wherein the second conductive electrically contacts at least a portion of said flexible electrically conducting layer.

2. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein said first substrate is a rigid substrate.

3. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein said second substrate include at least one electrode.

4. The implantable device according to claim 3, wherein said electrode is a protruding electrode.

5. The implantable device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical circuit on said first substrate.

6. The implantable device according to claim 5, further comprising a hermetic package enclosing said electrical circuit.

7. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein said first substrate comprises an integrated circuit.

8. The implantable device according to claim 7, wherein said integrated circuit is within a hermetic package.

9. The implantable device according to claim 7, wherein said substrate a hybrid circuit.

10. The implantable device according to claim 1, further comprising multiple first conductive pads.

11. The implantable device according to claim 1, further comprising multiple second conductive pads.

12. The implantable device according to claim 1, further comprising electrically conductive feedthroughs through said first substrate, electrically connected to said first conductive pads.

13. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein said implantable device is a neural interface.

14. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein said first flexible insulating layer defines a void for electrically connecting said flexible electrical conducting layer to said first electrically conducting pad.