Method of making implantable microelectrode
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a biologically implantable multiconductor electrode, comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of fine wires;
(b) holding said fine wires in predetermined spatial relationship to each other while applying a coating of a biologically implantable dielectric material thereto, thereby forming a distal end portion of said multiconductor electrode;
(c) arranging respective portions of all of said plurality of fine wires in a helical strand and holding said portions of said wires in a configuration defining said helical strand by said coating of dielectric material on said distal end portion thereof; and
(d) directing a beam of ultraviolet light onto a predetermined location in said distal end portion, thereby ablating a portion of said dielectric material from one of said fine wires, exposing cleanly a surface area of said one of said fine wires as an electrode site while leaving said dielectric material attached securely to said fine wire adjacent said active electrode site.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Microelectrodes for use in stimulating and detecting activity in neurons of living organisms, and a method of manufacturing such microelectrodes. An electrically conductive electrode core member is sharpened and coated with a thin layer of a dielectric material. An extremely small area of the core at the sharpened point is exposed by ablating the dielectric material by the use of ultraviolet laser beam scanned over the material. Multiconductor microelectrodes include multiple fine wires which may be arranged in helical strands, optionally supported by a central core member of stiffer material. Multiple conductors may also be supported within a tubular support such as a hollow needle whose distal end is cut at a slant to expose the conductors, or in flat ribbon configuration with openings in dielectric material defining active electrode sites. Multiple active electrode sites may be defined on a microelectrode accompanied by an integrated circuit after connection of the integrated circuit to a multiconductor cable.
272 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a biologically implantable multiconductor electrode, comprising:
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(a) providing a plurality of fine wires; (b) holding said fine wires in predetermined spatial relationship to each other while applying a coating of a biologically implantable dielectric material thereto, thereby forming a distal end portion of said multiconductor electrode; (c) arranging respective portions of all of said plurality of fine wires in a helical strand and holding said portions of said wires in a configuration defining said helical strand by said coating of dielectric material on said distal end portion thereof; and (d) directing a beam of ultraviolet light onto a predetermined location in said distal end portion, thereby ablating a portion of said dielectric material from one of said fine wires, exposing cleanly a surface area of said one of said fine wires as an electrode site while leaving said dielectric material attached securely to said fine wire adjacent said active electrode site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of making a miniature multiconductor electrical cable including a microelectrode, comprising:
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(a) coating a plurality of fine elongate electrical conductors with a first continuous layer of a first insulating material; (b) arranging respective intermediate portions of all of said plurality of fine elongate electrical conductors closely adjacent one another; (c) placing and holding a respective terminal portion of each of said fine elongate electrical conductors in a fixture in a terminal configuration with said terminal portions of said conductors substantially parallel with one another and spaced apart from one another in a planar arrangement at a predetermined pitch; (d) ribbonizing said terminal portions of said fine elongate electrical conductors by applying and curing a layer of insulating ribbonizing material over said terminal portions, embedding said terminal portions in said material and thereby holding said terminal portions in a terminal configuration; and (e) stripping away said layers of insulating material from each of said fine elongate electrical conductors in a portion of said ribbonized portion of said cable by use of an ultraviolet laser beam scanned in an appropriate pattern under computer control while holding said conductors arranged with said predetermined pitch therebetween adjacent said terminal portion of each of said conductors to provide an opening cleanly exposing a surface area of each said electrical conductor as an active electrode site with a predetermined configuration in a terminal portion of said cable.
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Specification