Surface modified electrodes

• US 10,827,936 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Lotfi, Atoosa
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cardinal, Erin M
• Application Number:
  US14/907,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20160174860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,644 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/35 Surface treated articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/352 for surface treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/355 Texturing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/3584 Increasing rugosity, e.g. roughening
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved

Abstract

A method for forming an implantable electrode (100) includes exposing a conductive surface of the electrode (100) with a first application of an excimer laser (215) and creating a first surface texture on a conductive surface with a second application of the excimer laser. In one example, a low impedance implantable electrode includes a conductive surface and a coating disposed over the conductive surface. The coating may have a lower contact impedance with biological tissue than the conductive surface. At least a portion of the coating has an excimer laser textured surface.

Claims

1. A low impedance implantable electrode comprising:

a conductive surface;

a coating disposed over the conductive surface, the coating comprising a lower contact impedance with biological tissue than the conductive surface; and

a laser textured surface on at least a portion of the coating, wherein the conductive surface and the coating have melted and combined in the laser textured surface portion of the coating of the electrode.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the laser textured surface is an excimer laser textured surface.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the coating is a printed coating.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the coating is an electroplated coating.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the laser textured surface of the coating has increased surface area compared to the non-laser textured surface of the coating.

6. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the laser textured surface of the coating has larger surface features, smoother profiles, and reduced peak dissolution compared to the non-laser textured surface of the coating.

7. A method for forming an implantable electrode comprising:

electroplating a conductive surface to create an electroplated surface having a first surface texture with a high aspect ratio roughness; and

applying a laser to form an alloy between the electroplated surface and the conductive surface to form the implantable electrode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first surface texture covers less than all of the conductive surface.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the laser reduces the roughness to produce a second surface texture having reduced peak dissolution.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying the laser comprises rastering the laser over the first surface texture to restructure peaks of the first surface texture.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second surface texture covers less than all of the first surface texture.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the conductive surface and the electroplated surface each comprise a noble metal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electroplated surface comprises platinum and the conductive surface comprises platinum.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the laser is an excimer laser.

15. A method for forming a low impedance implantable electrode comprising:

disposing an impedance reducing coating over a conductive surface, and

applying a laser to melt and combine a portion of the coating and the conductive surface to form the low impedance implantable electrode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the impedance reducing coating comprises at least one of:

platinum black, platinum gray, a platinum iridium alloy, and iridium.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein disposing the impedance reducing coating over the conductive surface comprises printing platinum ink over the conductive surface.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the laser is an excimer laser.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein applying the laser increases the surface area of the electrode.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein applying the laser melts and consolidates peaks of the coating to form a modified surface having larger surface features, smoother profiles, and reduced peak dissolution.