Greatbatch Ltd.

Brian P Hohl

Keith W Seitz

Christine A Frysz

Robert A Stevenson

Dallas J Rensel

Thomas Marzano

Robert S Rubino

Gary Freitag

Xiaohong Tang

Jonathan Calamel

Todd C Sutay

Marc Gregory Martino

Ho-Chul Yun

David Dianetti

Richard L Brendel

Jason Woods

Holly Noelle Moschiano

Biswa P Das

Afsar Ali

David Wutz

Sourabh Biswas

An AIMD includes a ceramic base closed with a ceramic lid, both cooperatively separating body fluid and device sides. The lid and circuit board both have active and conductive pathways. A circuit board has active and ground conductive pathways. An anisotropic conductive layer disposed between the lid device side and the circuit board has a first thickness where a first conductive particle is in electrical contact with the lid and the circuit board active conductive pathways electrically connected to the active terminal of an electronic component on the circuit board, a second thickness where a second conductive particle is in electrical contact with the lid and the circuit board ground conductive pathways electrically connected to the ground terminal of the electronic component. The anisotropic conductive layer has a third, greater thickness where no conductive particles are in electrical contact with the lid and circuit board conductive active and ground pathways.

Anisotropic conductive electrical connection from a conductive pathway through a ceramic casing to a circuit board electronic component housed inside the casing

A ceramic reinforced metal composite (CRMC) comprising a composition composite as an interpenetrating network of at least two interconnected composites is described. The interpenetrating networks comprise a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) and a metal matrix composite (MMC). The composition composite is particularly useful as an electrically conductive pathway extending through the ceramic body of a hermetically sealed component, for example, a feedthrough in an active implantable medical device (AIMD).

Methods for making a ceramic reinforced metal composite for hermetic bodies for implantable devices

A method for manufacturing a ceramic substrate by a 3D-printing process is described. The method comprises operating a 3D-printer to print a green-state ceramic body having a height extending to spaced apart first and second end surfaces and at least one via extending at least part-way along the height of the green-state ceramic body from the first end surface toward the second end surface. Then, the green-state ceramic body is sintered to provide the ceramic substrate with the at least one via. In cross-section, the at least one via has a square-shaped via with rounded corners.

Method for providing a three-dimensional printed feedthrough for an implantable medical device

A feedthrough for an AIMD includes a ferrule with an insulator hermetically sealing a ferrule opening, both cooperatively separating a body fluid side from a device side. A circuit board disposed adjacent to the insulator device side has a ground plate or ground trace electrically connected to a circuit board ground conductive pathway disposed in a circuit board ground via hole. An anisotropic conductive layer disposed between the circuit board and the insulator device side has an electrically insulative matrix supporting a plurality of electrically conductive particles. The anisotropic conductive layer has a first thickness where at least one first electrically conductive particle is longitudinally aligned and in electrical contact with the ferrule and the circuit board ground conductive pathway electrically connected to the at least one circuit board ground plate or ground trace. The anisotropic conductive layer has a second, greater thickness where the ferrule and the circuit board ground conductive pathway are not longitudinally aligned, and no electrically conductive particles are in electrical contact with the ferrule and the circuit board ground conductive pathway.

Electrical connection for an AIMD utilizing an anisotropic conductive layer

A ceramic subassembly manufactured by a 3D-printing process is described. The ceramic subassembly comprises a ceramic substrate having a sidewall extending to spaced apart first and second end surfaces. At least one via extends through the substrate from the ceramic substrate first end surface to the ceramic substrate second end surface. In cross-section, the via has a square-shape with rounded corners.

Three-dimensional printed feedthroughs for implantable medical devices

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing is formed by joining two ceramic casing halves together. One or both casing halves are machined from ceramic to provide a recess that is sized and shaped to contain the electrode assembly. The opposite polarity terminals are electrically conductive feedthroughs or pathways, such as of gold, and are formed by brazing gold into tapered via holes machined into one or both ceramic casing halves. The two ceramic casing halves are separated from each other by a metal interlayer, such as of gold, bonded to a thin film metallization layer, such as of titanium, that contacts an edge periphery of each ceramic casing half. A solid electrolyte of LiPON (LiPON) is used to activate the electrode assembly.

Thin film electrochemical cell activated with a solid electrolyte and housed in a casing formed of opposed ceramic substrates sealed together with an intermediate ring-shaped metallization

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell has a casing of first and second ceramic substrates that are hermetically secured to each other to provide an internal space housing an electrode assembly. First and second conductive pathways extend through the ceramic substrates. The pathways have respective inner surfaces that are conductively connected to the respective anode and cathode current collectors and respective outer surfaces that provide for connection to a load. An electrolyte in the internal space of the housing activates the electrode assembly.

Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing comprising opposed ceramic substrates housing an electrode assembly activated with a solid electrolyte

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing is formed by joining two ceramic casing halves together. One or both casing halves are machined from ceramic to provide a recess that is sized and shaped to contain the electrode assembly. The opposite polarity terminals are metal feedthroughs, such as of gold, and are formed by brazing gold into openings machined into one or both of ceramic casing halves. A thin film metallization, such as of titanium, contacts an edge periphery of each ceramic casing half. The first ceramic casing half is moved into registry with the second ceramic casing half so that the first and second ring-shaped metallizations contact each other. Then, a laser welds through one of the casing halves being a substantially transparent ceramic, for example sapphire, to braze the first and second ring-shaped metallizations to each other to thereby join the first and second casing halves together to form a casing housing the electrode assembly. A solid electrolyte (LiPON) activates the electrode assembly.

Hermetic weld for a thin film electrochemical cell activated with a solid electrolyte and housed in a ceramic casing

A method for manufacturing a singulated feedthrough insulator for a hermetic seal of an active implantable medical device (AIMD) is described. The method begins with forming a green-state ceramic bar with a via hole filled with a conductive paste. The green-state ceramic bar is dried to convert the paste to an electrically conductive material filling via hole and then subjected to a pressing step. Following pressing, a green-state insulator is singulated from the green-state ceramic bar. The singulated green-state insulator in next sintered to form an insulator that is sized and shaped for hermetically sealing to close a ferrule opening. The thusly produced feedthrough is suitable installation in an opening in the housing of an active implantable medical device.

Method of manufacturing a singulated feedthrough insulator for a hermetic seal of an active implantable medical device incorporating a post conductive paste filled pressing step

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc includes a casing having a header assembly comprising a ceramic plate formed by co-firing a metallic-containing paste in first and second via holes extending through a green-state ceramic. The ceramic plate is joined to a metal ring by a gold-braze to form the header assembly that is secured to an open-ended metal container by a weld to provide the casing. The fill material resulting from sintering the metallic-containing paste provides a first conductive pathway to the anode current collector contacting an anode active material and a second conductive pathway to a cathode current collector contacting a cathode active material. A solid electrolyte activates the anode and cathode while also serving as a separator. Outer surfaces of the first and second conductive pathways are configured for electrical connection to a load.

Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing of a metal container closed with a ceramic plate having two via holes supporting opposite polarity platinum-containing conductive pathways

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing has a ceramic substrate, preferably of alumina, that is part of a metal-containing feedthrough formed by co-firing a metallic paste in a via hole extending through a green state ceramic. The sintered feedthrough serves as a header assembly that is then joined to an open-ended container by a gold-braze to thereby provide the cell casing. The metallic container serves as a terminal for one of the electrodes, for example the anode, while the metal fill material resulting from sintering the metallic paste serves as the opposite polarity terminal, for example the positive terminal for the cathode.

Miniature electrochemical cell having a casing of a metal container closed with a ceramic plate having a via hole supporting a platinum-containing conductive pathway

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell casing is formed by joining two ceramic casing halves together. One or both casing halves are machined from ceramic to provide a recess that is sized and shaped to contain the electrode assembly. The opposite polarity terminals are metal feedthroughs, such as of gold, and are formed by brazing gold into openings machined into one or both ceramic casing halves. The two ceramic casing halves are separated from each other by a metal interlayer, such as of gold, bonded to a thin film metallization adhesion layer, such as of titanium, that contacts an edge periphery of each ceramic casing half. A solid electrolyte (LiPON) is used to activate the electrode assembly.

Hermetic thin film electrochemical cells housed in a ceramic casing and activated with a solid electrolyte

A miniature electrochemical cell having a total volume that is less than 0.5 cc is described. The casing enclosure consists of a lower plate supporting a cylindrically-shaped can having an open upper end closed with a cover. The can is selectively coated with a dielectric material to provide electrical isolation of the to-be-housed active materials from the can sidewall. A glass-to-metal seal electrically isolates the lower plate from the can. An electrode assembly comprising a sandwich of cathode active material/separator/anode active material is housed in the casing. That way, the lower plate contacting the cathode active material is the positive terminal and the closing cover connected to the can and contacted to the anode active material serves as the negative cell terminal. An electrolyte filled into the casing activates the electrode assembly and the fill opening is sealed with a plug. The cell can be of either a primary or a secondary chemistry.

Miniature electrochemical cells housed in a metallic casing having a glass-to-metal seal isolating the opposite polarity terminals

A filter feedthrough for an AIMD includes ferrule with an insulator hermetically sealing a ferrule opening, both cooperatively separating a body fluid side from a device side. A first conductive pathway is hermetically sealed to and disposed through the insulator. A feedthrough capacitor is disposed on the device side and includes at least one active electrode plate disposed parallel and spaced from at least one ground electrode plate within a capacitor dielectric. A capacitor active metallization is electrically connected to the active electrode plate and is in non-electrically conductive relation with the ground electrode plate. A capacitor ground metallization is electrically connected to the ground electrode plate and is in non-electrically conductive relation with the active electrode plate. An anisotropic conductive layer is disposed on the device side. The anisotropic conductive layer electrically connects the capacitor active metallization to the first conductive pathway.

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Clarence, NY, United States of America

Brian P Hohl