SURFACE MODIFIED ELECTRODES

• US 20160174860A1
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Lotfi, Atoosa
• Granted Patent: US 10,827,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/35 Surface treated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/352 for surface treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/355 Texturing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/3584 Increasing rugosity, e.g. roughening
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved

Abstract

A method for forming an implantable electrode (100) includes exposing a conductive surface of the electrode (100) with a first application of an excimer laser (215) and creating a first surface texture on a conductive surface with a second application of the excimer laser. In one example, a low impedance implantable electrode includes a conductive surface and a coating disposed over the conductive surface. The coating may have a lower contact impedance with biological tissue than the conductive surface. At least a portion of the coating has an excimer laser textured surface.

Claims

1. A method for forming an implantable electrode comprising:

exposing a conductive surface of the implantable electrode with a first application of an excimer laser; and

creating a first surface texture on a conductive surface with a second application of the excimer laser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the first surface texture comprises rastering an excimer laser beam over an electroplated coating on the conductive surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface texture covers less than all of an exposed surface of the conductive surface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying the first surface texture with a secondary process to reduce sharp peaks to produce a second surface texture with reduced peak dissolution.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the secondary process comprises rastering the excimer laser over the first surface texture to restructure peaks of the first surface texture.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second surface texture covers less than all of the first surface texture.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an impedance reducing coating over the conductive surface.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the impedance reducing coating comprises at least one of:

platinum black, platinum gray, a platinum iridium alloy, activated iridium oxide, conductive nanostructures and conductive polymers.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein disposing the impedance reducing coating over the conductive surface comprises printing platinum ink over the conductive surface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an electroplated surface over the conductive surface.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive surface and the electroplated surface comprise a noble metal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electroplated surface comprises platinum and the conductive surface comprises platinum.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein creating the first surface texture on the conductive surface with the excimer laser forms an alloy between the noble metal and the conductive surface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

folding a platinum sheet to form the conductive surface; and

liquid injection molding silicone around the conductive surface.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising removing silicone flash from the conductive surface using a laser ablation process.

16. A method for adhering a coating to an implantable electrode comprises:

structuring a surface of the implantable electrode with an excimer laser to form surface texture with overhanging surface features;

disposing an impedance reducing coating on the surface, wherein the impedance reducing coating mechanical overlooks with the overhanging surface features.

17. A method for forming an implantable electrode comprising:

rastering an excimer laser beam over an electrode surface to form a first surface texture with a high aspect ratio roughness;

rastering the excimer laser beam over the first surface texture to form a second surface texture with a lower aspect ratio roughness; and

disposing an overcoat over the implantable electrode, wherein the overcoat adheres to the implantable electrode by mechanically overlooking around features of the second texture, wherein the overcoat comprises a higher active surface area than the second surface texture.

18. A low impedance implantable electrode comprising:

a conductive surface;

a coating disposed over the conductive surface, the coating comprising a lower contact impedance with biological tissue than the conductive surface; and

an excimer laser textured surface on the coating.