Biocompatible bonding method and electronics package suitable for implantation

• US 9,592,396 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert J., Mann, Alfred E., Talbot, Neil, Ok, Jerry, Nolan, Gaillard R., Zhou, Dau Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARVEZ, AZM A
• Application Number:
  US13/351,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20120131794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 298/40, 298/32, 298/29, 298/25, 295/921, 604/115, 600/377, 607/48, 607 1- 28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09127 PCB or component having an integral separable or breakable part
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1028 Thin metal strips as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10295 Metallic connector elements partly mounted in a hole of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10977 Encapsulated connections applying non-metallic protective coatings for encapsulating mounted components H05K3/284
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0733 Method for plating stud vias, i.e. massive vias formed by plating the bottom of a hole without plating on the walls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1446 Treatment after insertion of lead into hole, e.g. bending, cutting, caulking or curing of adhesive but excluding soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/328 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4015 using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. pieces of metal foil, metallic spheres
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/423 characterised by electroplating method
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4652 Adding a circuit layer by laminating a metal foil or a preformed metal foil pattern H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a plated rivet-shaped connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.

Claims

1. A method of making an implantable device comprising:

providing a hermetic package configured to be implanted within a human body, including a substrate forming a part of said hermetic package and containing hermetic electrically conductive feedthroughs straight from an inside surface to an outside surface forming electrically conductive pads in a two dimensional grid on said outside surface of said substrate where said outside surface is outside the hermetic package;

providing a flexible electrical circuit having contacts in a two dimensional grid matching said two dimensional grid on said substrate;

applying electrically conductive adhesive to said electrically conductive pads;

applying electrically conductive adhesive to said contacts;

aligning and contacting said electrically conductive pads with said contacts;

curing said electrically conductive adhesive;

underfilling a space between said substrate and said flexible electrical circuit, thereby hermetically sealing said space.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive adhesive includes epoxy and platinum flake.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said substrate forms part of a hermetic package enclosing electronics.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming electrodes on an end of said flexible electrical circuit opposite said contacts.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is an integrated circuit.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a rigid substrate.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming a circuit on said inside surface of said substrate.

8. A method of making an implantable device comprising:

providing a substrate containing electrically conductive feedthroughs straight from an inside surface to an outside surface forming electrically conductive pads in a two dimensional grid on said outside surface of said substrate;

forming an electrical circuit on said inside surface of said substrate;

bonding a cover to said inside surface of said substrate forming a hermetic package around said electrical circuit configured to be implanted within a human body;

providing a flexible electrical circuit having contacts in a two dimensional grid;

applying electrically conductive adhesive to said electrically conductive pads;

applying electrically conductive adhesive to said contacts;

aligning and contacting said electrically conductive pads with said contacts;

curing said electrically conductive adhesive;

underfilling a space between said substrate and said flexible electrical circuit, thereby hermetically sealing said space.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said electrically conductive adhesive includes epoxy and platinum flake.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising forming electrodes on an end of said flexible electrical circuit opposite said contacts.