Hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough for use with implantable electronic devices
First Claim
1. An electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue comprising:
- a metal trace encapsulated within an insulating material so as to form a hermetic seal between the metal trace and the insulating material, the insulating material and metal trace being made from materials that are compatible with living tissue, and the hermetic seal being hermetic in a living tissue environment; and
first and second conductive vias that pass through the insulating material from an outer surface thereof to make electrical contact with the metal trace at respective spaced-apart locations along the metal trace, said first and second conductive vias including conductive material that is also compatible with living tissue.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A thin hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue permits electrical connection between electronic circuits sealed within an hermetically sealed case and electrical terminals or contacts on the outside of the case. The hermetically sealed case is made by hermetically bonding a cover to an insulating layer. The hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough is made by depositing a conductive trace on the insulating layer and then depositing another insulating layer thereover, so that the conductive trace is hermetically encapsulated within the insulating layers. At least two spaced-apart openings are formed in the insulating layers before bonding the cover thereto, exposing the conductive trace. Additional conductive material is then inserted within each of the openings or holes so as to form conductive vias that make electrical contact with the conductive trace. The cover is then hermetically sealed to the insulating layer so that at least one conductive via resides inside of an hermetically sealed cavity formed under the cover, and the other conductive via resides outside of the hermetically sealed cavity. An electrical feedthrough is thus formed through the respective conductive vias and conductive trace so that electrical contact may be made between the outside and inside of the hermetically sealed cavity.
843 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue comprising:
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a metal trace encapsulated within an insulating material so as to form a hermetic seal between the metal trace and the insulating material, the insulating material and metal trace being made from materials that are compatible with living tissue, and the hermetic seal being hermetic in a living tissue environment; and first and second conductive vias that pass through the insulating material from an outer surface thereof to make electrical contact with the metal trace at respective spaced-apart locations along the metal trace, said first and second conductive vias including conductive material that is also compatible with living tissue. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue comprising:
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a plurality of insulating layers, each of the plurality of insulating layers being successively stacked with and hermetically bonded to an adjacent one of the plurality of insulating layers; a plurality of vias passing transversely through at least one of the plurality of insulating layers; a conductive trace placed on one of the plurality of insulating layers, the conductive trace being in electrical contact with at least two of the plurality of vias, and being hermetically bonded to the at least one of the plurality of insulating layers and to the adjacent one of the plurality of insulating layers; each of said plurality of vias comprising a conductor that makes electrical contact with the conductive trace; and a cover hermetically bonded to one of the plurality of insulating layers to form a hermetically sealed cavity, wherein one of the plurality of vias resides inside the hermetically sealed cavity, and wherein another of the plurality of vias resides outside the hermetically sealed cavity; whereby electrical contact may be made through the other of the plurality of vias outside of the hermetically sealed cavity with the one of the plurality of vias inside of the hermetically sealed cavity through the conductive trace. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue comprising:
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a substrate; a first insulating layer deposited on the substrate; a conductive trace deposited on the first insulating layer, the conductive trace having a first end and a second end; a second insulating layer hermetically bonded to the conductive trace and the first insulating layer to form a hermetic seal, the hermetic seal being hermetic in a living tissue environment, the second insulating layer having first and second openings therethrough that expose the conductive trace at the first and second ends, respectively; a first conductor within the first opening and in electrical contact with the conductive trace a second conductor within the second opening and in electrical contact with the conductive trace, the first conductor and the second conductor thus forming a first conductive via and a second conductive via, respectively; and a cover comprising a flange around a periphery of the cover and a formed raised portion at a center of the cover, the flange being hermetically bonded to the second insulating layer such that the first conductive via resides inside of a hermetically sealed cavity, and the second conductive via resides outside of the hermetically sealed cavity. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough suitable for implantation within living tissue comprising:
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a first insulating layer having a conductive trace deposited thereon, the first insulating layer having a first via therethrough that electrically communicates with the conductive trace; a second insulating layer hermetically bonded to the conductive trace and the first insulating layer to form a hermetic seal, the hermetic seal being hermetic in a living tissue environment, the second insulating layer having a second via therethrough that electrically communicates with the conductive trace; and a cover comprising a flange at a periphery of the cover and a formed raised portion at a center of the cover, the flange being hermetically bonded to one of the first and second insulating layers such that one of the first and second vias resides inside of a hermetically sealed cavity formed under the formed raised portion of the cover, and the other of the first and second vias resides outside of the hermetically sealed cavity. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification