Method for manufacturing an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device

• US 9,032,614 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG (Einhorn Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH)
• Inventors: Specht, Heiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Donghai D
• Application Number:
  US13/361,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 29/254.1, 29830-832, 298/40, 298/42, 298/46, 298/52, 174/257, 174/264, 419/6, 419/57, 607/115, 607/116
• US Class Current: 29/851
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3754 Feedthroughs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/435 Solid dielectric type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49163 with sintering of base

Abstract

One aspect relates to an electrical bushing for use in a housing of an implantable medical device. The electrical bushing includes at least one electrically insulating base body and at least one electrical conducting element. The electrical bushing includes a holding element to hold the electrical bushing in or on the housing. The conducting element is set-up to establish, through the base body, at least one electrically conductive connection between an internal space of the housing and an external space. The conducting element is hermetically sealed with respect to the base body. The at least one conducting element includes at least one cermet. The holding element is made, to at least 80% by weight with respect to the holding element, from a material selected from the group consisting of a metal from any of the subgroups IV, V, VI, VIII, IX, and X of the periodic system.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

a. generating at least one base body green compact for at least one base body from an insulating composition of materials;

b. forming at least one cermet-containing conducting element green compact for at least one conducting element;

c. introducing the at least one conducting element green compact into the base body green compact;

d. connecting the base body green compact to the at least one conducting element green compact in order to obtain at least one base body having at least one conducting element;

wherein the base body is connected to a holding element, the holding element consisting at least in part of metal, via a diffusion bond formed at a temperature between 100°

C. and 3,000°

C., and wherein a pressure acting on a connecting site between base body and holding element while the diffusion bond is formed between the holding element and the base body, said pressure in a range from 0.2 to 20 MPa.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of a metal from any of the subgroups IV, V, VI, VIII, IX, and X of the periodic system of the elements or at least two thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of platinum, iron, iridium, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, titanium, cobalt, chromium, and zirconium, or at least two thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding element includes niobium and

wherein the base body includes a zirconium oxide.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding element includes a material selected from the group consisting of niobium, platinum, iron, and molybdenum, or at least two thereof, and

wherein the base body includes an aluminum oxide.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base body green compact is subjected to firing jointly with the at least one conducting element green compact.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein step a) comprises a partial sintering of the base body green compact.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step b) comprises a partial sintering of the conducting element green compact.

9. A method for the manufacture of an electrical bushing for an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

a. generating at least one base body green compact for at least one base body from an insulating composition of materials;

b. forming at least one cermet-containing conducting element green compact for at least one conducting element;

c. introducing the at least one conducting element green compact into the base body green compact;

d. connecting the base body green compact to the at least one conducting element green compact in order to obtain at least one base body having at least one conducting element;

wherein the base body is connected to a holding element via a diffusion bond formed at a temperature between 100°

C. and 3,000°

C.; and

wherein either step a) comprises a partial sintering of the base body green compact or step b) comprises a partial sintering of the conducting element green compact such that one of the base body green compact and the conducting element green compact is easier to handle.