Hermetically sealed implantable ophthalmic devices and methods of making same

• US 9,675,444 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ea3tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Elenza Inc.
• Inventors: Blum, Ronald D., Gupta, Amitava, Fehr, Jean-Noel, Schnell, Urban, Doll, Walter, Roulet, Jean-Christophe, Michaely, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parvez, Azm
• Application Number:
  US14/657,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20150182331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 29830, 29829, 29825, 295921
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/14 Eye parts, e.g. lenses, corneal implants; Implanting instruments specially adapted therefor; Artificial eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1613 having special lens configurations, e.g. multipart lenses; having particular optical properties, e.g. pseudo-accommodative lenses, lenses having aberration corrections, diffractive lenses, lenses for variably absorbing electromagnetic radiation, lenses having variable focus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1624 having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/482 Electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0069 Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/15 Ceramic or glass substrates H01L23/142, H01L23/145, H01L23/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5389 the chips being integrally enclosed by the interconnect and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/301 by means of a mounting structure H05K3/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/36 Assembling printed circuits with other printed circuits H05K7/142 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 Assembling bases

Abstract

Many modern implantable ophthalmic devices include electronic components, such as electro-active cells, that can leak harmful substances into the eye and/or surrounding tissue. In the implantable ophthalmic devices disclosed herein, electronic components are hermetically sealed within cavities formed by bonding together two or more glass wafers. Bonding the glass wafers together with laser fusion bonding, pressure bonding, or anodic bonding creates a seal that leaks at a rate of less than about 5×10⁻¹² Pa m³s⁻¹ when subjected to a helium leak test. Hermetically sealed feedthroughs formed of conductive material running through channels in the wafers provide electrical connections to components inside the sealed cavities. In some cases, the conductive material has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is roughly equal to (e.g., within 10% of) the CTE of the glass wafers to minimize leakage due to thermally induced expansion and contraction of the conductive material and the glass wafer.

Claims

1. A method of making an implantable ophthalmic device, the method comprising:

(a) placing an electronic component in electrical communication with a hermetically sealed feedthrough that provides a conductive path from a first side of a first substrate to a second side of the first substrate;

(b) bonding a second substrate to the first side of the first substrate to at least partially define a hermetically sealed cavity containing the electronic component;

(c) making an electro-active element by;

(i) filling a cavity with liquid crystal material via a glass tube; and

(ii) closing the glass tube to seal the liquid crystal material in the cavity; and

(d) placing the electro-active element in electrical communication with the electronic component via the hermetically sealed feedthrough.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein (a) further comprises:

creating a channel from the first side of the first substrate to the second side of the first substrate; and

filling the channel with a conductive material to define the conductive path.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the channel has a diameter of about 100 μ

m to about 250 μ

m.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the coefficients of thermal expansion of the conductive material and the first substrate are about 2.0 ppm to about 5.0 ppm.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein (a) further comprises:

forming a biocompatible conductive layer, in electrical communication with the conductive material, over an end of the channel.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

placing another electronic component in electrical communication with the electronic component via the biocompatible conductive layer and the conductive path.

7. The method of claim 1 further wherein (b) further comprises:

fusion bonding the second substrate to the first side of the first substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 further wherein (b) further comprises:

anodically bonding the second substrate to the first side of the first substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

depositing a conformal coating about at least part of the hermetically sealed cavity to prevent leaks through cracks that may develop in the hermetically sealed cavity.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first substrate has a thickness of about 25 μ

m to about 300 μ

m.

11. A method of making an implantable ophthalmic device, the method comprising:

(a) placing an electronic component in electrical communication with a hermetically sealed feedthrough that provides a conductive path from a first side of a first substrate to a second side of the first substrate;

(b) bonding a second substrate to the first side of the first substrate to at least partially define a hermetically sealed cavity containing the electronic component;

(c) making an electro-active element by;

(i) filling a cavity with liquid crystal material via channels having modified interior surfaces; and

(ii) collapsing the channels to seal the liquid crystal material in the cavity; and

(d) placing the electro-active element in electrical communication with the electronic component via the hermetically sealed feedthrough.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein (a) further comprises:

creating a channel from the first side of the first substrate to the second side of the first substrate; and

filling the channel with an conductive material to define the conductive path.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the channel has a diameter of about 100 μ

m to about 250 μ

m.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the coefficients of thermal expansion of the conductive material and the first substrate are about 2.0 ppm to about 5.0 ppm.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein (a) further comprises:

forming a biocompatible conductive layer, in electrical communication with the conductive material, over an end of the channel.

16. The method of claim 11 further wherein (b) further comprises:

fusion bonding the second substrate to the first side of the first substrate.

17. The method of claim 11 further wherein (b) further comprises:

anodically bonding the second substrate to the first side of the first substrate.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising treating the channels with aminosilane, silanols, and/or hydroxysilane derivatives to create the modified interior surfaces.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

depositing a conformal coating about at least part of the hermetically sealed cavity to prevent leaks through cracks that may develop in the hermetically sealed cavity.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the first substrate has a thickness of about 25 μ

m to about 300 μ

m.