Nanotube coatings for implantable electrodes
First Claim
1. An implantable electrode intended to be imbedded in body tissue, which comprises:
- a) a substrate;
b) a biocompatible and electrically conductive catalyzing coating supported on the substrate; and
c) a multiplicity of carbon-containing nanotubes, each comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating, wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue, electrical energy is transferable through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Coatings for implantable electrodes consisting of single- or multi-walled nanotubes, nanotube ropes, carbon whiskers, and a combination of these are described. The nanotubes can be carbon or other conductive nanotube-forming materials such as a carbon-doped boron nitride. The nanotube coatings are grown “in situ” on a catalytic substrate surface from thermal decomposition, or they are bonded to the substrate using a metal or conductive metal oxide thin film binder deposited by means of a metal compound precursor in liquid form. In the latter case, the precursor/nanotube coating is then converted to a pure metal or conductive metal oxide, resulting in the desired surface coating with imbedded nanotubes.
94 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An implantable electrode intended to be imbedded in body tissue, which comprises:
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a) a substrate; b) a biocompatible and electrically conductive catalyzing coating supported on the substrate; and c) a multiplicity of carbon-containing nanotubes, each comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating, wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue, electrical energy is transferable through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for providing an implantable electrode, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a substrate; b) coating a catalytic material selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen-doped carbon, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, iridium, platinum, and niobium or a nitride, a carbide, a carbonitride, and an oxide thereof on the substrate; c) heating the coated substrate; d) contacting the heated substrate with a flowing hydrogen-containing gas stream to thereby provide a multiplicity of carbon-containing nanotubes covalently bonded to the coated substrate, the nanotubes comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating; and e) wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue in a functional manner, electrical energy is transferable through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method of providing an implantable electrode, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a substrate; b) providing nanotubes mixed with a binder precursor selected from chloroiridic acid, chloroplatinic acid, titanium (IV) chloride, zirconium (IV) chloride, niobium (V) chloride, and tantalum (V) chloride in a solvent; c) contacting the binder precursor to the substrate; d) converting the binder precursor to a coating on the substrate having a multiplicity of nanotubes covalently bonded thereto, the nanotubes comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating; and d) wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue in a functional manner, electrical energy is transferable through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for providing an implantable electrode, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a substrate; b) coating a carbonaceous catalytic material on the substrate; c) heating the carbonaceous coated substrate; d) contacting the heated substrate with a flowing hydrogen-containing gas stream to thereby provide a multiplicity of carbon-containing nanotubes covalently bonded to the carbonaceous coated substrate, the nanotubes comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating; and e) wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue in a functional manner, electrical energy is transferable transfers through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for providing an implantable electrode, comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a substrate; b) coating a catalytic material selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen-doped carbon, tantalum, titanium, zirconium, iridium, platinum, and niobium or a nitride, a carbide, a carbonitride, and an oxide thereof on the substrate; c) subjecting the coated substrate to a plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition process containing a flowing hydrocarbon-containing gas stream to thereby provide a multiplicity of carbon-containing nanotubes covalently bonded to the coated substrate, the nanotubes comprising a sidewall having a length extending to first and second ends, wherein at least one of the first and second ends is covalently bonded to the coating, the surface portions of the nanotubes that are not covalently bonded exhibiting relatively low polarization with respect to the portions of the nanotubes that are covalently bonded to the coating; and d) wherein with the electrode imbedded in body tissue in a functional manner, electrical energy is transferable through the substrate, the catalyzing coating and then from exposed portions not covalently bonded to the coating of the multiplicity of nanotubes to the body tissue in a low energy loss manner suitable for an implantable electrode. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification