Low temperature encapsulate welding
First Claim
1. A method for hermetically sealing an electronic component in a load-bearing implant, the method comprising:
- providing a load-bearing implant with a cavity for accommodating the electronic component, the load-bearing implant defining an inner bore;
providing a weld plate configured to cover the cavity with an offset margin extending around a periphery of the cavity;
encapsulating the electronic component in the cavity within an encapsulant;
curing the encapsulant at a first temperature;
heat treating the cured encapsulant to a second temperature;
placing a heat sink in the inner bore of the load-bearing implant; and
while the heat sink is located in the inner bore of the load-bearing implant, welding the weld plate over the cavity along the offset margin so the weld plate provides a seal over the cavity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A load-bearing medical implant is disclosed that includes a load-bearing structure with a cavity extending into the outer surface of the structure. The cavity accommodates a sensor that is held in a fixed position within the cavity by an encapsulant. The cavity is covered by a plate that is welded over the cavity in close proximity to the sensor and encapsulant to provide a seal over the cavity and the electronic component without causing thermal damage to the encapsulant or sensor despite the close proximity of the encapsulant and sensor to the welded areas of the plate and structure. Methods for encapsulating the sensor in the cavity, methods for encapsulating a wire bus leading from the sensor through a channel in the implant and methods for pulsed laser welding of weld plate over the sensor and encapsulant with thermal damage to either are disclosed.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method for hermetically sealing an electronic component in a load-bearing implant, the method comprising:
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providing a load-bearing implant with a cavity for accommodating the electronic component, the load-bearing implant defining an inner bore; providing a weld plate configured to cover the cavity with an offset margin extending around a periphery of the cavity; encapsulating the electronic component in the cavity within an encapsulant; curing the encapsulant at a first temperature; heat treating the cured encapsulant to a second temperature; placing a heat sink in the inner bore of the load-bearing implant; and while the heat sink is located in the inner bore of the load-bearing implant, welding the weld plate over the cavity along the offset margin so the weld plate provides a seal over the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for hermetically sealing an electronic component in a load-bearing implant, the method comprising:
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providing a load-bearing implant with a cavity for accommodating the electronic component, the cavity having a length, a width, and a depth, wherein the length is greater than the width and the depth; providing a weld plate configured to cover the cavity with an offset margin extending around a periphery of the cavity; encapsulating the electronic component in the cavity within a silicone encapsulant; curing the silicone encapsulant at a first temperature; heat treating the cured silicone encapsulant to a second temperature; and welding the weld plate over the cavity at the offset margin in a direction along the length of the cavity to form a seal over the cavity. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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25. A method for hermetically sealing an electronic component in a load-bearing implant, the method comprising:
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providing a load-bearing implant with a cavity for accommodating the electronic component; providing a weld plate configured to cover the cavity with an offset margin extending around a periphery of the cavity; encapsulating the electronic component in the cavity within an encapsulant; after encapsulating the electronic component in the cavity within the encapsulant, subjecting the load-bearing implant to (i) one or more vacuum cycles that expose the load-bearing implant to pressure below atmospheric pressure, or (ii) one or more pressurization cycles that expose the load-bearing implant to pressure above atmospheric pressure; curing the encapsulant at a first temperature; heat treating the cured encapsulant to a second temperature; and welding the weld plate over the cavity along the offset margin so the weld plate provides a seal over the cavity.
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Specification