Housing structure for a medical implant including a monolithic substrate

• US 8,332,037 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Inventors: Imran, Mir
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US12/265,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 607 36- 37
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0536 Preventing neurodegenerative response or inflammatory reaction
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37514 Brain implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3754 Feedthroughs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide lid structures for medical implant (MI) housing. In one embodiment, the invention provides a lid structure for a MI housing comprising a substrate comprising a dielectric material, a conductive portion fabricated on a substrate surface or interior, a frame at least partially surrounding the substrate perimeter, a plurality of vias projecting at least partially through the substrate, a plurality of conductive pins with at least one pin projecting through a via. The frame is hermetically joined to the substrate and can be hermetically joined to the housing. The conductive portion allows electrical components, including capacitors, inductors, resistor and antennas to be fabricated on or coupled to the substrate surface or interior. The antenna comprises a conductive trace positioned on a substrate top surface and is configured to send and receive signals between an implant within a patient'"'"'s body and a communication device external to the body.

Claims

1. A hermetically sealable lid structure for a medical implant housing, the structure comprising:

a substrate comprising a dielectric material, the substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate including a conductive portion fabricated on at least one of the top or bottom surfaces or an interior of the substrate;

the conductive portion allowing electrical components to be fabricated on or coupled to the top or bottom surface or interior of the substrate;

a frame at least partially surrounding a perimeter of the substrate, the frame hermetically sealed to the substrate and configured to be hermetically sealed to the implant housing;

a plurality of vias projecting at least partially through the substrate; and

a plurality of conductive pins, at least one of the conductive pins projecting through a via and hermetically sealed to the via.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion includes a printed electrical component, the electrical component being defined by printing of the conductive portion on the top or bottom surface or the interior of the substrate so that the electrical component functions as an integral part of an electrical circuit of the medical implant.

3. The structure of claim 2, wherein the electrical circuit is one of a pacing, sensing or power circuit.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion comprises an antenna defined by a printed conductive trace positioned on the top surface of the substrate, the antenna coupled to associated circuitry of the medical implant so as to send and receive signals between the medical implant when implanted, a patient'"'"'s body and a communication device external to the patient'"'"'s body.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein the dielectric material has a permittivity allowing the antenna to be sized and shaped to fit onto the substrate top surface to send and receive signals in about the 400 MHz to 6 GHz frequency range.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the frequency range is about 402 to 405 MHz frequency range.

7. The structure of claim 5, wherein the permittivity is at least about ten.

8. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one pin projects completely through the via.

9. The structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one pin comprises platinum, a platinum alloy or a platinum iridium alloy.

10. The structure of claim 1, wherein the frame completely surrounds the perimeter of the substrate.

11. The structure of claim 1, wherein the frame includes a lip configured to engage the medical implant housing.

12. The structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate is substantially oval shaped.

13. The structure of claim 1, wherein the medical implant is a pacemaker, defibrillator, cardiac assist device, gastric stimulator, spinal cord stimulator, neural stimulator, deep brain stimulator or epileptic treatment device.

14. The structure of claim 1, wherein each pin projects through a via.

15. The structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a ceramic, alumina ceramic, zirconia ceramic or glass.

16. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion comprises an inductor or a resistor.

17. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion comprises a plurality of conductive portions including at least a first and a second conductive portion.

18. The structure of claim 17, wherein the first and second conductive portions are positioned on opposite surfaces of the substrate.

19. The structure of claim 17, wherein the first and second conductive portions define a capacitor.

20. The structure of claim 19, wherein the capacitor comprises at least a portion of a thickness of the substrate.

21. The structure of claim 19, wherein the capacitor is coupled to at least one of the plurality of pins.

22. The structure of claim 19, wherein the plurality of conductive portions include at least a third conductive portion.

23. The structure of claim 22, wherein the third conductive portion comprises an inductor.

24. The structure of claim 23, wherein the inductor and the capacitor are arranged in an LC circuit.

25. The structure of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic component positioned on the bottom surface of the substrate, the electronic component coupled to at least one of the vias or pins.

26. The structure of claim 25, wherein the electronic component is one of a circuit, a processor, a battery, a capacitor, an inductor or a resistor.

27. The structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a connector structure coupled to the housing and engaging at least one of the pins.

28. The structure of claim 27, wherein the connector structure is positioned atop the housing or is a header structure positioned atop a pacemaker housing.

29. The structure of claim 27, wherein the connector structure engages all of the pins.

30. The structure of claim 1, wherein the conductive portion comprises a connector architecture for connection to an electrical component or device.

31. The structure of claim 30, wherein the connector architecture aligns with connecting elements on the electrical component or device.

32. The structure of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes an optically transparent portion.

33. The structure of claim 32, wherein the optically transparent portion is configured as an optical coupling for sending optical signals for optical communication, sensing or stimulation.

34. The structure of claim 32, wherein the optically transparent portion includes a coating configured to reduce adhesion of cells and proteins so as to maintain optical transparency of the transparent portion after implantation.

35. A hermetically sealable lid structure for a medical implant housing, the structure comprising:

a substrate comprising a dielectric material, the substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate including a conductive portion fabricated on at least one of the top or bottom surfaces or an interior of the substrate;

the conductive portion allowing electrical components to be fabricated on or coupled to the top or bottom surface or interior of the substrate;

a frame at least partially surrounding a perimeter of the substrate, the frame hermetically sealed to the substrate and configured to be hermetically sealed to the implant housing;

a plurality of vias projecting at least partially through the substrate; and

a plurality of conductive pins, at least one of the conductive pins projecting through a via and hermetically sealed to the via; and

wherein the conductive portion is arranged and positioned on the substrate to vertically intersect at least one pin to allow direct electrical connection between at least one electrical component and the at least one pin so that the component may be connected by means of the pin to circuitry disposed within the implant housing when the lid structure is hermetically sealed to the implant housing.

36. The structure of claim 35, further comprising:

at least one electrical component arranged and positioned on the top or bottom surface or the interior of the substrate so as to have direct electrical connection with the at least one pin.

37. The structure of claim 36, wherein the electrical component is defined by printing of the conductive portion on the top or bottom surface or the interior of the substrate.

38. The structure of claim 36, wherein the electrical component comprises an antenna defined by a conductive trace positioned on the top surface of the substrate, the antenna coupled to associated circuitry of the medical implant so as to send and receive signals between the medical implant when implanted in the body of a patient and a communication device external to the patient'"'"'s body.

39. The lid structure of claim 36, wherein the at least one electrical component comprises at least a first and a second component positioned on different horizontal planes of the substrate.

40. The lid structure of claim 36, wherein the at least one electrical component comprises at least one circuit.

41. The lid structure of claim 40, wherein the at least one circuit comprises at least a first and a second electrical component positioned on different horizontal planes of the substrate.

42. The lid structure of claim 40, wherein the at least one circuit comprises an LC, RC or LRC circuit.

43. A hermetically sealable lid structure for a medical implant housing for use in a body of a patient, the structure comprising:

a dielectric substrate having at least one layer with a top surface and a bottom surface;

a printed antenna disposed along the top or the bottom surface of the at least one layer of the substrate, the antenna defined by printing on the at least one layer with a conductive material so as to couple circuitry within the housing to a communication device outside a patient'"'"'s body;

a perimeter frame surrounding the top surface or bottom surface of the substrate, the frame hermetically sealed to the substrate and configured to be affixed to the implant housing so that the substrate hermetically seals the housing;

a plurality of vias projecting at least partially through the substrate; and

a plurality of conductive pins, each pin projecting through an associated via and hermetically sealed to the via, one of the pins being coupled to the antenna.