Hermetically bonding ceramic and titanium with a palladium braze

• US 8,329,314 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Colvin, Michael S, Xiaohai, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Katz, Vera
• Application Number:
  US11/238,602
• Time in Patent Office: 2,630 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 428/632
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/022 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/026 Ceramic or ceramic-like structures, e.g. glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12535 with additional, spatially distinct nonmetal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12611 Oxide-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12632 Four or more distinct components with alternate recurrence of each type component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12667 Oxide of transition metal or Al
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12812 Diverse refractory group metal-base components: alternative to or next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12875 Platinum group metal-base component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12944 Ni-base component

Abstract

A component assembly for use in living tissue comprises: a ceramic part; a metal part, e.g., a titanium metal; and a palladium (Pd) interlayer for bonding said ceramic part to the metal part. By applying sufficient heat to liquify a palladium-titanium interface, the Pd interlayer is used to braze the ceramic part to the titanium part to yield a hermetic seal.

Claims

1. A microstimulator comprising:

a component assembly housing comprising;

a ceramic part;

a metal part selected from the group consisting of titanium and titanium alloys; and

a palladium (Pd) interface layer consisting of palladium that is combined with a portion of one or both of the metal part or the ceramic part to form a bond between said ceramic part and the metal part, and further comprising an electrode contact and a second palladium interface layer consisting of palladium, wherein the second interface layer bonds the electrode contact to the ceramic part of the component assembly housing.

2. The microstimulator of claim 1, wherein the electrode contact and the metal part of the housing are electrically connected.