FEEDTHROUGH WITH INTEGRATED ELECTRODE AND MEDICAL DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an implantable medical device, comprising a housing with an electric feedthrough, wherein the electric feedthrough comprises an insulator and an electric conductor extending through the insulator, wherein insulator is joined, particularly brazed, with the electric conductor, a first electrode configured to contact a body tissue, and a second electrode configured to act as a return electrode for the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is formed by the electric conductor of the electric feedthrough and an electrode tip, wherein the electrode tip is joined, particularly welded, with the electrical conductor.

Claims

1. Implantable medical device, comprising: a housing with an electric feedthrough, wherein said electric feedthrough comprises an insulator and an electric conductor extending through said insulator, wherein insulator is joined, particularly brazed, with said electric conductor, a first electrode configured to contact a body tissue, wherein the first electrode further is configured to deliver electric pulses to said body tissue and/or to sense electric pulses from said body tissue, and a second electrode configured to act as a return electrode for said first electrode, wherein said first electrode is formed by said electric conductor of said electric feedthrough and an electrode tip, wherein said electrode tip is joined, namely welded, with said electrical conductor.

2. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said electrode tip is coated with iridium or titanium nitride, wherein the coating has a thickness in the range of 1 μm to 10 μm.

3. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said electric conductor and/or said electrode tip is made of or comprises platinum, platinum/iridium, niobium, titanium or palladium.

4. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said electric conductor comprises an intermediate portion joined to said insulator, and a distal portion protruding out of said insulator, wherein said distal portion at least partly has a larger diameter than said intermediate portion.

5. Implantable medical device according to claim 4, wherein said distal portion comprises a circumferential protrusion having a larger diameter than said intermediate portion and a distal tip having a smaller diameter than said circumferential protrusion, wherein said electrode tip comprises a receptacle configured to receive said distal tip, or a distal receptacle configured to receive a proximal protrusion of said electrode tip.

6. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said electric conductor comprises a proximal portion joined, namely soldered, to an electronic module comprised within said housing, and wherein said proximal portion of said electric conductor comprises a proximal tip, wherein said electronic module is joined with said electric conductor via a first terminal element having a receptacle configured to receive said proximal tip, wherein said first terminal element is solderable, or said intermediate portion joined, namely brazed or welded, to a conductor extension, wherein said conductor extension is joined, namely soldered, to an electronic module comprised within said housing, and wherein said conductor extension comprises a proximal tip, and said electronic module is joined with said conductor extension via a first terminal element having a receptacle configured to receive said proximal tip, wherein said first terminal block is solderable.

7. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, further comprising a flange joined, namely welded, to said housing, wherein said flange comprises an opening configured to receive said electrical feedthrough, and said flange has essentially the same diameter as said housing.

8. Implantable medical device according to claim 7, wherein said medical implant comprises at least one ground contact joined, namely welded or soldered, to said flange.

9. Implantable medical device according to claim 8, wherein said flange comprises a protrusion, and said at least one ground contact is joined to said protrusion via a second terminal element having a receptacle configured to receive said protrusion, wherein said second terminal element is solderable, or said flange comprises a receptacle configured to receive a second terminal element, and said at least one ground contact is joined to said flange via said second terminal element, wherein said second terminal element is solderable, or said flange is joined, namely brazed, to a flange extension, and said at least one ground contacted is joined to said flange via said flange extension and optionally a second terminal element, wherein said flange comprises a receptacle configured to receive said flange extension, or said flange is joined with said at least one ground contact via a second terminal element, wherein said second terminal element is solderable.

10. Implantable medical device according to claim 7, wherein said flange comprises a receptacle configured to receive a part of said housing.

11. Implantable medical device according to claim 7, wherein said housing and said flange are made of or comprises the same material, namely titanium or a titanium alloy.

12. Implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said second electrode is formed by a part of said housing.

13. Implantable medical device according to claim1, further comprising an anchor structure configured to anchor said implantable medical in a body tissue, namely cardiac tissue, wherein said anchor structure comprises a plurality of tines and a base ring, wherein said plurality of tines is arranged, namely fixed, at said base ring, and wherein said plurality of tines and said base ring are integrally formed in one piece.

14. Implantable medical device according to claim 13, wherein said anchor structure is attached to said implantable medical device by a retention component.

15. Implantable medical device according to claim 14, wherein said flange comprises a receptacle configured to receive said retention component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Further advantages, features and embodiments of the present invention will be explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of the header section of one embodiment of the medical device of the present invention comprising a flange, a feedthrough and an electrode;

[0049] FIGS. 2 to 5 show several alternative embodiments of the header section;

[0050] FIG. 6 a top view of the header section;

[0051] FIG. 7 a bottom view of the header section, and

[0052] FIG. 8 a total view of one embodiment of the medical device of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In the present invention, a design is proposed, in which a feedthrough pin 40 for conducting electrical signals in an electric feedthrough 20 is used as an electrode of an implantable medical device 100. For this purpose, the body side 43 of the pin 40 is formed and coated such that the functions of an electrode 40, 50 can be realized. The electrode is formed by two parts 40, 50. The distal part or tip 50 of the electrode 40, 50 to be coated is welded to the feedthrough pin 40. By that, the manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced, since the distal part or tip of the electrode can be coated separately from the feedthrough pin 40. Accordingly, not the whole electric feedthrough needs to be masked for coating the electrode.

[0054] The flange 70 of the feedthrough 20 has essentially the same diameter as the implant, or more precisely the housing 10 of the implant. Thereby, the flange 10 may be welded in a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the implant 100. The welding locations 11 are thereby most distanced from the brazing or soldering locations (e.g., between pin 40 and insulator 30, between insulator 30 and flange 70 or between pin 40 and electronic module 90). In addition, a simple single axis assembly of the implant 100 is possible.

[0055] In house contacts (46, 48, 71, 74, 61, 62) of the flange 70 or the feedthrough 20 are preferably designed as being solderable. Particularly, the proximal (in house) part 46, 48 of the feedthrough pin 40 is designed as a SMT-component, which can be automatable placed on a circuit 90 (e.g., on a printed circuit board).

[0056] FIG. 1 shows in detail the header section of the implantable medical device 100 of the present invention with a metal flange 70, e.g., made of titanium or a titanium alloy, and an electric feedthrough 20. The electric feedthrough 20 comprises an insulator 30, e.g., made of a ceramic or glass, and a feedthrough pin 40, e.g., made of platinum, platinum/iridium, or niobium, extending through the insulator 30. Particularly, the feedthrough pin 40 is brazed with the insulator 30, and the insulator 30 is brazed with the metal flange 70, particularly with gold as a solder, in order to form a hermetic seal between pin 40 and insulator and between insulator 30 and flange 70.

[0057] The feedthrough pin 40 exhibits several distinct regions: a proximal portion 41 inside of the housing 10, an intermediate portion 42 extending through the insulator 30, and a distal portion 43 outside of the insulator 30 or the housing 10, respectively. The proximal portion 41 comprises a proximal tip 46, which is received a receptacle of a solderable first terminal element 61 configured to be soldered to the electronic module 90 of the implantable medical device 100 of the present invention. The intermediate portion 42 is at least partly brazed to the insulator 30 in order to form a hermetic seal. The distal portion 43 comprises a circumferential protrusion 44 and a distal tip 45, which is received by a receptacle 51 of a coated electrode tip 50. The circumferential protrusion 44 preferably acts as a stop or locating surface for the electrode tip 44. Feedthrough pin 40 and electrode tip 50 are welded together and form an electrode 40, 50 of the implantable medical device 100 of the present invention.

[0058] Furthermore, the metal flange 70 comprises a first receptacle 72 configured to receive a retention element of an anchor structure of the implant (not shown) and a second receptacle 73 formed as a groove and configured to receive a circumferential edge of the housing 10. The metal flange 70 further comprises a protrusion 71, which is received by a receptacle of a solderable second terminal element 62. Protrusion 71 and second terminal element 62 are configured and intended to be connected to a ground contact of the implant 100. Preferably, the first and second terminal elements are designed in form of a hollow cylinder or disc and are made of or comprise a solderable material, e.g., copper-nickel, bronze, that may be optionally coated with, e.g., palladium or tin.

[0059] An alternative design of the feedthrough pin 40 and the electrode tip 50 is depicted in FIG. 2. There, the distal portion 43 of feedthrough pin 40 comprises a circumferential protrusion 44 as described above, but a receptacle 47, which is configured to receive a distal protrusion 52 of the electrode tip 50.

[0060] FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C show alternative designs of the connection between flange 70 and ground contact. In one alternative design (FIGS. 3A and 3B), the flange 70 comprises a receptacle 74, which is configured to receive a second terminal element 62. In this design, the receptacle 74 is preferably designed in form of a circumferential groove, and mated with a matching second terminal element 62 being designed in form of a ring. In another alternative design, the second terminal element 62 may be joined to the inner surface of the flange 70 without a receptacle for the second terminal element 62 as depicted in FIG. 3C, wherein the second terminal element 62 is preferable designed in form of ring similar to the second terminal element of FIG. 3B. In any alternative design, the second terminal element 62 preferably is made of or comprises a solderable material as stated above.

[0061] FIGS. 4A and 4B show alternative designs of the connection between flange 70 and ground contact and of the connection between the feedthrough pin 40 and the electronic module 90. There, a conductor extension 48 is brazed to the intermediate portion 42 of the feedthrough pin 40, wherein the conductor extensions 48 comprises or is joined with a first terminal element 61 being preferably designed in form of a bump (FIGS. 4A and 4B). Furthermore, a flange extension 75 is brazed with the flange 70, wherein the flange extension 75 is either arranged on the inner surface of the flange 70 as depicted in FIG. 4A or within a receptacle 74 of the flange 70 as depicted in FIG. 4B. In either case, the flange extension 75 preferably comprises or is joined with a second terminal element 62 being designed in form a bump, wherein the second terminal element 62 preferably is made of or comprises a solderable material as stated above.

[0062] FIG. 5 shows an alternative design of the flange 70, more precisely of the receptacle 73, which is configured to receive the housing 10. In this alternative design, the receptacle 73 is designed in form of a circumferential edge configured to receive or to be mated with a matching circumferential edge of the housing 10.

[0063] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the top side and bottom side of the above described header component of the implantable medical device 100 of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows a plurality of solderable first 61 and second terminal elements 62 configured to be soldered to the electronic module 90 and ground contacts, respectively. Preferably, each of the first 61 and second terminal elements 62 are designed in form of hollow cylinders or disc with a receptacle configured to receive the proximal tip 41 of the feedthrough pin 40 and protrusions 71 of the flange 70, respectively.

[0064] FIG. 8 show a total view of the implantable medical device 100 of the present invention. In addition to the above described header section comprising flange 70 and feedthrough 20 with feedthrough pin 40 and electrode tip 50, the implant 100 comprises a hermetically sealed housing 10. The housing 10 comprises an electronic module 90 electrically connected to the feedthrough pin 40 and a battery 91 electrically connected to the electronic module 90. Both electronic module 90 and battery 91 may be accommodated by separate housings parts, which are welded together with the flange 70 after assembly, e.g., along the welding seams 11 depicted in FIG. 8. The housing 10 further comprises a portion 80, which acts as return electrode of electrode 40, 50.

[0065] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations of the described examples and embodiments are possible in light of the above teachings of the disclosure. The disclosed examples and embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration only. Other alternate embodiments may include some or all of the features disclosed herein. Therefore, it is the intent to cover all such modifications and alternate embodiments as may come within the true scope of this invention, which is to be given the full breadth thereof. Additionally, the disclosure of a range of values is a disclosure of every numerical value within that range, including the end points.