IMPLANTABLE ELECTRODE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME

• US 20090234426A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuronexus Technologies Incorporated (NEL Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neuronexus Technologies Incorporated (NEL Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gulari, Mayurachat, Anderson, David J., Kipke, Daryl R., Pellinen, David S., Vetter, Rio J., Hetke, Jamille Farraye
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• 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 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/113 Via provided in pad; Pad over filled via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09781 Dummy conductors, i.e. not used for normal transport of current; Dummy electrodes of components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2072 Anchoring, i.e. one structure gripping into another providing micro- or nanometer scale roughness on a metal surface H05K2203/0307
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4644 by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

The implantable electrode system of the preferred embodiments include a conductor, an interconnect coupled to the conductor, an insulator that insulates the interconnect, and an anchor that is connected to both the conductor and the insulating element, wherein the anchor is mechanically interlocked with at least one of the conductor and the insulator.

Claims

1. An implantable electrode system comprising:

a conductor;

an interconnect coupled to the conductor;

an insulator that insulates the interconnect; and

an anchor that is connected to both the conductor and the insulating element, and wherein the anchoring element mechanically interlocks with at least one of the conductor and the insulator.

2. The implantable electrode system of claim 1, wherein the conductor is a neural interface that provides at least one function selected from the group consisting of recording and stimulating.

3. The implantable electrode system of claim 1, wherein the anchor is chemically bonded to at least one of the conductor and the insulator.

4. The implantable electrode system of claim 1, wherein the anchor is of a material that creates a first bond with the conductor and the insulator is of a material that creates a second bond with the conductor, wherein the first bond is stronger than the second bond.

5. The implantable electrode system of claim 4, wherein both the conductor and the anchor are of a metal material.

6. The implantable electrode system of claim 5, wherein the insulator also electrically insulates the anchor from the interconnect.

7. The implantable electrode system of claim 4, wherein the insulator partially envelops the anchor and defines an opening to expose a portion of the anchor, thereby mechanically interlocking the insulator and the anchor.

8. The implantable electrode system of claim 7, wherein the exposed portion of the anchor has a shape that is substantially similar to the shape of the conductor.

9. The implantable electrode system of claim 8, wherein the exposed portion of the anchor is has a ring shape.

10. The implantable electrode system of claim 7, wherein the conductor is chemically bonded to the anchor.

11. The implantable electrode system of claim 10, wherein the conductor includes a leg that extends from the electrode to the anchor and chemically bonds with the anchor.

12. The implantable electrode system of claim 1, wherein the anchor is of a material that creates a first bond with the insulator and the conductor is of a material that creates a second bond with the insulator, wherein the first bond is stronger than the second bond.

13. The implantable electrode system of claim 12, wherein both the insulator and the anchor are of a material that acts as an insulator.

14. The implantable electrode system of claim 12, wherein the anchor partially envelops the conductor and defines an opening to expose a portion of the conductor, thereby mechanically interlocking the anchor and the conductor.

15. The implantable electrode system of claim 14, wherein the exposed portion of the conductor is the center portion of the surface of the conductor and the perimeter of the conductor is substantially enveloped by the anchor.

16. The implantable electrode system of claim 14, wherein the anchor is chemically bonded to the insulator.

17. The implantable electrode system of claim 1, wherein the insulator includes a first layer and a second layer, wherein the second layer is mounted on the first layer.

18. The implantable electrode system of claim 17, wherein the first layer defines a first surface that supports the interconnect and the anchor, and wherein the second layer is coupled to both the interconnect and the anchor and physically insulates the interconnect from the anchor.

19. The implantable electrode system of claim 17, wherein the first layer defines a first surface that supports the interconnect, wherein the second layer insulates the interconnect and defines a second surface to support the anchor, and wherein the insulator further includes a third layer that is mounted on the second layer and coupled to the anchor.

20. A method for attaching a plurality of layers of different materials within an implantable device comprising the steps of:

providing a first layer of a first material;

providing a second layer of a second material;

providing an anchor;

mechanically interlocking the anchor to the first layer; and

chemically bonding the anchor to the second layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the anchor is of a material that creates a first bond with the second layer and the first material creates a second bond with the second layer, wherein the first bond is stronger than the second bond.

22. A method for controlling the charge distribution of an implantable electrode comprising the steps of:

providing a conductor;

providing an interconnect;

coupling the interconnect to the conductor;

providing an insulator that insulates the interconnect;

providing a non-metal anchor;

allowing the anchor to partially envelop the conductor and to define an opening to expose a portion of the conductor;

providing a current to the conductor; and

allowing the non-metal anchor to decrease the initial current density at the enveloped portion of the conductor wherein the resultant initial current density at the enveloped portion of the conductor is substantially similar to the initial current density at the uncovered portion of the conductor.

23. A method for decreasing irreversible chemical reactions of an implantable electrode comprising the steps of:

providing a conductor;

providing an interconnect;

coupling the interconnect to the conductor;

providing an insulator that insulates the interconnect;

providing a non-metal anchor;

chemically bonding the anchor to the insulator;

allowing the anchor to substantially envelop the perimeter of the conductor and to define an opening to expose the center portion of the conductor;

providing a current to the conductor; and

allowing the non-metal anchor to decrease the initial current density at the perimeter of the conductor wherein the resultant initial current density at the perimeter of the conductor is substantially similar to the initial current density at the center portion of the conductor.

24. An implantable electrode system comprising:

a conductor including a leg;

an interconnect coupled to the conductor;

an anchor of substantially the same material as the conductor, wherein the anchor is chemically bonded to the leg of the conductor; and

an insulator that includes a first layer that defines a first surface that supports the interconnect, a second layer that insulates the interconnect and defines a second surface that supports the anchor, and a third layer that partially envelops the anchor and defines an opening to expose a portion of the anchor to bond with the leg of the conductor and thereby mechanically interlocking the third layer with the anchor, and wherein the third layer defines a third surface that supports the conductor.

25. An implantable electrode system comprising:

a conductor including a leg;

an interconnect coupled to the conductor;

an anchor of substantially the same material as the conductor, wherein the anchor is chemically bonded to the leg of the conductor; and

an insulator that includes a first layer that defines a first surface that supports the interconnect and the anchor, and a second layer that insulates the interconnect from the anchor and partially envelops the anchor, wherein the second layer also defines an opening to expose a portion of the anchor to bond with the leg of the conductor and thereby mechanically interlocking the second layer with the anchor, and wherein the second layer defines a second surface that supports the conductor.

26. An implantable electrode system comprising:

a conductor;

an interconnect coupled to the conductor;

an insulator that includes a first layer that defines a first surface that supports the interconnect and a second layer that insulates the interconnect and defines a second surface that supports the conductor; and

an anchor of substantially the same material as the insulator, wherein the anchor is chemically bonded to the insulator, and wherein the anchor partially envelops the conductor and defines an opening to expose a portion of the conductor, thereby mechanically interlocking the anchor with the conductor.

27. An implantable electrode system comprising:

a conductor that defines a conductor surface;

an interconnect coupled to the conductor;

an insulator that includes a first layer that defines a first surface that supports the interconnect and a second layer that insulates the interconnect and defines a second surface that supports the conductor; and

an anchor that is supported by the conductor surface and is of substantially the same material as the insulator, wherein the anchor partially envelops the conductor and defines an opening to expose a portion of the conductor.