Implantable Electric Connecting Structure Between an Electric Implant and an Electric Feed and Drain Line Structure

Abstract

The invention is an implantable electrical connecting structure between an electrical implant which has at least one electrical conductor and an electrical feed and drain line structure. The invention further relates to a method for producing an implantable electrical connection between an electrical implant. The invention is characterized in that the electrical feed and drain line structure comprises at least one electrical cable having a cable end, to which an electrically conductive flat piece is unsupportedly fined, and that the at least one implant-side electrical conductor is joined to the flat piece.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An implantable electrical, connecting structure between an electrical implant, which has at least one electrical conductor, and an electrical feed and drain line structure, wherein the electrical feed and drain line structure comprises: at least one electrical cable with a cable end, to which an electrically conductive flat piece is attached in an unsupported manner, and the at least one implant-side electric conductor is connected electrically by a joint to the flat piece.

15. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the flat piece is attached to the cable end without a mechanical support structure.

16. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the flat piece is joined to the cable end by of a component separate from the at least one cable.

17. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 15, wherein the flat piece is joined to the cable end by of a component separate from the at least one cable.

18. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the flat piece is a metallic plate.

19. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 15, wherein the flat piece is a metallic plate.

20. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the joint between the flat piece and the at least one implant-side electric conductor comprises at least one of an adhesive wire bond, ball bond, or soldered connection.

21. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 15, wherein the joint between the flat piece and the at least one implant-side electric conductor comprises at least one of an adhesive wire bond, ball bond, or soldered connection.

22. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the flat piece is obtained by material deformation of cable material at an end of the cable which is integrally connected with the cable.

23. The implantable electric connecting structure according to one claim 14, wherein the at least one implant-side electric conductor is integrated in a flexible film electrically non-conductive surface element, and is electrically connected to the electrical implant, and the at least one electrical conductor has an accessible conductor end, which is electrically connected to the flat piece of the cable.

24. The implantable electrical connecting structure according to claim 14, wherein the at least one implant-side electrical conductor is joined directly to the flat piece.

25. A method for production of an implantable electrical, connecting structure between an electrical implant having at least one electrical conductor, and an electrical feed and drain line structure, comprising: providing a cable of the electrical feed and drain line structure with a cable end, to which an unsupported, electrically conductive flat piece, and joining the electrical conductor to the electrically conductive flat piece.

26. The method according to claim 25, comprising attaching the flat piece to the cable end by a joint.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein producing the flat piece by material deformation of the cable end.

28. The method according to claim 25, comprising integrating the at least one electric conductor into a flexible film electrically non-conductive surface element, and joining the electrical implant directly to the flat piece with freely accessible conductor end section, so that the cable connected to the flat piece is deformed relative to the surface element.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein covering the at least one cable together with the freely accessible conductor end section joined to the flat piece, with an electrically insulating potting compound or an electrically insulating protective sheath.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0026] The invention is described below in an exemplary manner by way of examples of embodiment with reference to the drawings, without any limitation of the general inventive concept. Here:

[0027] FIG. 1a shows an illustration of the implantable electric connecting structure in accordance with the invention,

[0028] FIG. 1b shows a longitudinal section through a microflex contact, and

[0029] FIGS. 2a, b, c show an implantable connecting structure known per se in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1a shows an implantable electrical connecting structure between electric conductors 3 leading to an implant, which correspond in number to the electrical supply cables 10, which are combined to form an electrical feed and drain line structure 11, and are, for example, connected to an energy and control module.

[0031] The electrical conductors 3 provided on the implant side are usually integrated in a support substrate 4 in the form of a flexible, film-like, electrically non-conductive surface element 4, preferably in the form of a biocompatible polymer film. In the example of embodiment shown, each individual electrical cable 3 leads along a finger-like film end section 4a. The number of individual film end sections 4a corresponds to the number of individual electrical lines 3 leading to the implant.

[0032] For purposes of making contact between the electrical lines 3 and an electrical supply cable 10, each cable 10 provides a metallic, platelet-shaped flat piece 16, which is either connected to the end of a cable 10 via a joint 17, for example by means of welding, adhesively bonding, wire bonding or a soldered joint, or is integrally formed from the cable end by material deformation. See also the longitudinal section representation in FIG. 1b in terms of a film end section 4a with two microflex contacts 13.

[0033] Each of the finger-like film end sections 4a has two openings 14 to form two microflex contacts 13, which pass through both the film end section 4a and the electrical conductor 3 locally. Each individual film end section 4a rests directly on one side of a surface of the flat piece 16, having a thickness which can range from some 10 g of m to some 100 g of m. To provide joints that are electrically and mechanically sound, the two openings 14 within each individual film end section 4a are filled with a ball bond 15, which preferably a gold bond.

[0034] If necessary, only one microflex contact 13, or multiple microflex contacts 13, can be provided along an electrical conductor 3, depending on the anticipated loading situation that the connecting structure has to withstand.

[0035] The shape and surface size of the individual flat pieces 16 must be selected with a view to being miniaturized and compact of a design as possible for each individual electrical connecting structure, and is primarily directed at the shape and size of the implant-side film end sections 4a.

[0036] Even with a large number of electrical conductors 3 and the cables 10 connected thereto, it is possible to transform the finger-like film end sections 4a into a small cylindrical design, by winding them, for example, around an axis oriented in the longitudinal extent of the film end sections 4a, from which the cables 10, in close proximity to one another, lead into the electrical feed and drain line structure 11. It is precisely this deformability of the design of the implantable electrical connecting structure that constitutes the particular advantage, by means of which miniaturization of the structure is made possible.

[0037] Other shapes and geometries can also be used for the configuration of the contact region of the film-like support substrate 4a. All connection techniques known in the art, and suitable for this particular application, such as friction welding, ultrasonic welding, soldering, gluing, bonding methods, etc., are also suitable for the configuration of the electrical and mechanical joint between the individual electrical conductors 3 and the flat pieces 16 of the cables 10.

[0038] In order to prevent the electrically conductive flat pieces 16 from forming electrical short circuits, they must be enclosed with an electrically insulating layer material or a potting compound before a space-saving sculpting of the connecting structure.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0039] 1 Cuff electrode arrangement [0040] 2 Nerve fibre bundle [0041] 3 Electric lines [0042] 4 Biocompatible support substrate, polymer film [0043] 4a Film end section [0044] 5 Microflex structures [0045] 6 Ceramic adaptor plate [0046] 7 Microflex contacts, microflex pads [0047] 8 Electrode surfaces [0048] 9 Soldered joint [0049] 10 Cable [0050] 11 Cable loom, electric feed and drain line structure [0051] 12 Electric conductor structure [0052] 13 Microflex contact [0053] 14 Opening [0054] 15 Ball bond, gold bond [0055] 16 Flat piece [0056] 17 Joint