Electronics Package Suitable for Implantation

• US 20080051848A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert, Ok, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92125 the second connecting process involving a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/057 the leads being parallel to the base
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/10 characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts, e.g. between cap and base of the container or between leads and walls of the container
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS
• 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 2201/10287 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

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, such as 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. An implantable electronic device, comprising:

a) a substrate having one or more contacts and two or more layers of conductive adhesive on said contacts;

b) a flexible assembly having one or more bond pads and one or more layers of conductive adhesive on said bond pads;

c) said conductive adhesive connecting said contacts on said substrate with said bond pads on said flexible assembly; and

d) adhesive underfill in the remaining space between said substrate and said flexible assembly.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein said flexible assembly comprises polyimide.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a biocompatible ceramic.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein said biocompatible ceramic comprises alumina.

5. The device according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is rigid.

30. The device according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is an electrically insulated substrate circuit.

6. The device according to claim 1 wherein said flexible assembly is a thin substrate circuit.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said conductive adhesive provides an electrical path between said input/output contacts and said bond pads.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive underfill is nonconductive.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said adhesive underfill contains epoxy.