Implantable ceramic enclosure for pacing, neurological, and other medical applications in the human body

• US 5,782,891 A
• Filed: 04/15/1996
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hassler, Beth Anne, Donders, Adriannus P., Lyons, Daniel A., Wiklund, Craig L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US08/632,730
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 607/36, 607/37
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3754 Feedthroughs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing

Abstract

An implantable medical device with a ceramic enclosure has a novel multi-layered ceramic feedthrough substrate in place of a prior art glass-to-metal feedthrough substrate, leading to lower costs and a higher feedthrough density. Use in a metal enclosure is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A packaging arrangement for the outer packaging of an implantable medical device comprising:

a ceramic enclosure having an opening for receiving circuitry of said implantable medical device; and

a multi-layered feedthrough substrate for coupling to said ceramic enclosure at edges around said opening, said substrate having multiple feedthroughs for electrically coupling said circuitry inside said enclosure to the outside of said enclosure.

2. The packaging arrangement in claim 1 further comprising a connector block for coupling to said substrate, and for coupling to at least one electrical lead, said connector block electrically connecting said lead to said feedthroughs.

3. The packaging arrangement in claim 2 further comprising:

a first weld ring for coupling to said ceramic enclosure;

a second weld ring for coupling to said first weld ring, and to said multi-layered feedthrough substrate.

4. The packaging arrangement in claim 1 wherein said ceramic enclosure further comprises a metallic outer layer.

5. The packaging arrangement in claim 2 wherein said ceramic enclosure further comprises a metallic outer layer.

6. The packaging arrangement in claim 3 wherein said ceramic enclosure further comprises a metallic outer layer.

7. An implantable package having an inside and an outside, and having a ceramic feedthrough for mounting into said package with an exterior surface and an interior surface such that when assembled the package outside is coextensive with the exterior surface of said feedthrough and the package inside is substantially coextensive with the feedthrough interior surface said package further comprising;

a ceramic substrate feedthrough co-fired with metal ic conductive interconnects therein at least one of which extends from the exterior surface to said interior surface.

8. A package as set forth in claim 7, such that said package further comprises:

a metalized electrode grounding ring mounted on the outside of said package electrically connected by a conductive metal pathway through said feedthrough to circuitry inside said package.

9. A package as set forth in claim 8 wherein said metal grounding ring is planar in shape.

10. An implantable medical device having an exterior surface substantially defined by a metal can or shell enclosure with an inside containing circuitry and an outside thereto, said device comprising a ceramic multilayer feedthrough component which component comprises a ceramic substrate feedthrough co-fired with metal interconnects therein at least one of which interconnects provides an electrical pathway that extends from an exterior surface to an interior surface of said feedthrough component, and wherein said device has a welding ring for connecting the feedthrough component to the can in a configuration such that said exterior surface will be substantially coextensive with the outside and said interior surface with the inside of said can or shell, such that circuitry within said can is electrically connected to the outside of said can by said interconnect pathway.

11. An implantable medical device having an exterior surface substantially defined by a metal can or shell enclosure with an inside containing circuitry and an outside thereto, said device comprising a ceramic feedthrough component for providing connection between electrical circuits on an inside of said implantable device to an outside of said implantable device as set forth in claim 10 and further comprising:

on said interior surface of said feedthrough component, a first bonding pad area for holding one side of a surface mount capacitor connected to ground, and having a second bonding area also on said interior surface of said feedthrough component, said second area electrically isolated from said first area except through said surface mount capacitor for holding an opposite side of said surface mount capacitor, said second area also being electrically connected through said ceramic feedthrough to the outside of said implantable medical device.

12. An implantable medical device having an exterior surface substantially defined by a metal can or shell enclosure with an inside containing circuitry and an outside thereto, said device comprising a ceramic feedthrough component for providing connection between electrical circuits on an inside of said implantable device to an outside of said implantable device as set forth in claim 10 and wherein said feedthrough is a ceramic multilayered feedthrough which has encapsulated therewithin a circuit element, from a list of circuit elements:

including

resistor, capacitor, antenna, coil, diode, sensor, or inductor.

13. An implantable medical device having an exterior surface substantially defined bv a metal can or shell enclosure with an inside containing circuitry and an outside thereto, said device comprising a ceramic feedthrough component for providing connection between electrical circuits on an inside of said implantable device to an outside of said implantable device as set forth in claim 10 and wherein said feedthrough component is a ceramic multilayered feedthrough having at least 2 layers, said feedthrough comprising a pattern of metalization within each of the ceramic layers such that when cofired, said metalization extends from an inner surface to an outer surface of said multilayer feedthrough.

14. An implantable medical device having a feedthrough component as set forth in claim 13 wherein said ceramic feedthrough forms a rigid substrate.

15. An implantable medical device having a feedthrough component as set forth in claim 14 wherein said rigid substrate has an outer surface comprising a linear row of bonding pads.

19. An assembly for an implantable device comprising a package having a feedthrough component as set forth in claim 14 or 18 and wherein said feedthrough is mounted to said package by a connection to a metal coplanar ring mounted to an outer surface of said feedthrough and of said package.

21. An assembly as set forth in claim 19 wherein said feedthrough component has mounted over it a connector block adapted for connecting at least one lead thereto and wherein a conductive pathway is provided within said connector block to electrically connect at least one of said bonding pads to a conductive pathway in said at least one lead.

16. An implantable medical device comprising at least three parts adapted to be hermetically sealed together for implantation into a living body,

a connector block part having a lead receptacle formed therein for receiving and electrically connecting to a conductive pathway in a lead body, and having a mounting portion for mounting over a window area of a shell part so as to seal said window from fluids in a body into which said device is to be implanted and wherein an electrical pathway is provided from said electrical connection to said lead to said window within said connector block,

a circuitboard part comprising a multilayer ceramic hybrid circuitboard metalization patterned on and through layers therewithin for assembling with electrical components on said circuitboard part and having bonding pads on a surface of said circuitboard part such that at least one of the bonding pads on said circuitboard part is located so as to be exposed to said connector block window for connection to said electrical pathway in said connector block and

at least one shell part for housing said circuitboard part and mounting said window of said connector block thereto.

17. A device as set forth in claim 16 wherein said shell comprises two mating parts.

18. An implantable medical device comprising at least three parts adapted to be hermetically sealed together for implantation into a living body,

a connector block part having a lead receptacle formed therein for receiving and electrically connecting to a conductive pathway in a lead body, and having a mounting portion for mounting over a window area on an outside surface of a shell part wherein an electrical pathway is provided from said electrical connection from said lead to said window within said connector block,

a feedthrough component part for providing electrical connection between the electrical pathway in said window to a bonding pad within an interior surface of said shell part,

a circuitboard part comprising a multilayer ceramic hybrid circuitboard metalization patterned on and through layers therewithin for assembling with electrical components on said circuitboard part and having bonding pads on a surface of said circuitboard part such that at least one of the bonding pads on said circuitboard part is located so as to be electrically connected by a flexible wire to said interior bonding pad and

at least one shell part for housing said circuitboard part and mounting said window of said connector block thereto.

20. An implantable medical device as set forth in claims 9 or 18 wherein said shell part is made of cofired multilayer ceramic.