Freeform substrates and devices

• US 7,335,530 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2004
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ruben, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roman; Angel
• Application Number:
  US10/902,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 438/800, 438/982, 438/106, 438/127, 438/460, 438/463, 257/E21.001
• US Class Current: 438/106
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/304 Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting H01L21/30625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014

Abstract

An implantable medical device substrate is free form cut to the shape of the interior of the device. The free form shape allows more efficient use of not only the interior space of the device but also of the substrate itself. Integrated circuit components are formed to fit the shape of the substrate, freeing areas in the device for additional components, or allowing the device to be made smaller through a maximized use of the available space-volume.

Claims

1. A method for maximizing package density within an implantable medical device housing, comprising:

creating a free formed substrate shaped with curved edge contours to conform to interior edges of the implantable medical device housing; and

forming interconnected integrated circuits using the free formed substrate to implement a medical device monitoring or therapy delivery function, a substantial number of the integrated circuits being laid out in a non-rectangular peripheral shape.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-rectangular peripheral shape of the integrated circuits includes edge contours to match the edge contours of the substrate.

3. A method of making a freeform silicon substrate for an IMD, comprising:

cutting a substrate to a peripheral shape of an implantable medical device housing; and

forming integrated circuit components on the substrate, wherein the integrated circuit components upon being interconnected implement a medical device monitoring or therapy delivery function.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein cutting is accomplished by water laser cutting.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein cutting is accomplished by high frequency short wavelength short pulse laser cutting.