Stretchable Electrode Conductor Arrangement and Medical Implant

Abstract

A stretchable electrode conductor arrangement for a medical implant, this stretchable electrode conductor arrangement having at least one zigzag or meandering conductor track on an insulating support with an insulating cover that is tightly connected with the support, embedding the conductor track, the support having an essentially non-stretchable material and being cut in a zigzag or meandering pattern to adapt it to the contour of the conductor track(s).

Claims

1. A stretchable electrode conductor arrangement for a medical implant, the stretchable electrode conductor arrangement comprising: at least one zigzag or meandering conductor track on an insulating support with an insulating cover that is tightly connected with the support, embedding the conductor track, the support having an essentially non-stretchable material and being cut in a zigzag or meandering pattern to adapt it to the contour of the conductor track(s), making it stretchable as a whole.

2. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the cover also has an essentially non-stretchable material and is cut in a zigzag or meandering pattern to adapt it to the contour of the conductor track(s).

3. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, which has at least one electrode pole which is electrically connected with the at least one conductor track and which is embedded in the support or the cover and has an exposed surface.

4. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, which has at least one electrode pole which is electrically connected with the at least one conductor track and which is arranged on the exposed surface of the support or the cover and is connected with the embedded conductor track through a via contact.

5. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, which has multiple parallel conductor tracks and cutouts in the support, and optionally also in the cover, that are adapted to the course of the conductor tracks.

6. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 5, which has a network-like arrangement of intersecting conductor tracks and cutouts in the support and optionally also in the cover that are essentially polygonal.

7. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 6, with a matrix-shaped array of electrode poles, in particular electrode poles that are arranged at crossing points or connection points of multiple conductor tracks.

8. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the support and/or the cover has a liquid crystal polymer (LCP), or a polyimide (PI).

9. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the support and/or the cover is in the range between 5 and 100 m, and the thickness of the or every conductor track is in the range between 1 and 20 m.

10. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the width of the, or every, conductor track is in the range between 2 and 500 m, and the local width of the support is greater than the width of the conductor track and is in the range between 25 and 250 m.

11. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the composite of the support, conductor track(s), and cover is put on an elastically deformable, especially stretchable planar base or embedded into such a base.

12. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the base has a polyurethane or silicone material or a rubber.

13. The electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the base is spatially shaped as a cylinder or balloon, or it has a cylindrical or balloon-shaped section.

14. A medical implant, especially an electrode lead, electrode mat, or balloon catheter, with an electrode conductor arrangement according to claim 1.

15. A medical implant according to claim 14, wherein the electrode conductor arrangement is associated with an additional functional component, especially an electronic control and/or evaluation component, and this component is placed especially between the electrode conductor arrangement and an associated base.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Other advantages and expedient features of the present invention follow from the following description of sample embodiments, which make reference to the Figures. The Figures are as follows:

[0024] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a schematic sectional view and top view, respectively, of an electrode conductor arrangement according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view of an electrode conductor arrangement according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view of an electrode conductor arrangement according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a special use of the electrode conductor arrangement according to FIG. 3;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a medical implant according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIGS. 6A and 6B show a perspective representation and a partial view, respectively, of a medical implant according to another embodiment of the present invention; and

[0030] FIGS. 7A and 7B show schematic sectional views of a medical implant according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIGS. 1A and 1B show a three-layer electrode conductor arrangement 10 in which multiple conductor tracks 11 having a parallel zigzag course are embedded between a first non-stretchable polymer layer (support) 13 and a second non-stretchable polymer layer (cover) 15, the first and second polymer layers 13, 15 having an outside contour that is cut to adapt it to the zigzag course of the conductor tracks 11. The cutting can be done, for instance, by means of a laser, or also by milling or plasma etching, or possibly by means of a punch.

[0032] In the embodiment shown, a disk-shaped electrode pole 17 laid on the cover 15 and a via 19 are provided in a middle area between conductor tracks on both sides and associated support/covering areas, the via 19 connecting the electrode pole 17 with the conductor tracks 11.

[0033] The zigzag arrangement of the conductor tracks 11 and the corresponding zigzag-shaped cut of support 13 and the cover 15 allow the areas of the electrode conductor arrangement 10 bordering the electrode pole 17 on both sides of the middle part to be elastically stretched in the longitudinal direction without any problems, without repeated and even pronounced stretching leading to the above-described disadvantages, such as occur after a longer time in the case of support/covering composites made of intrinsically stretchable materials.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a top view of another example of an electrode conductor arrangement 20, which comprises four support/conductor track/cover strands 20.1-20.4 in the basic shape of a square, and one electrode pole 27.1-27.4 at each of the vertices.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows another example of an electrode conductor arrangement 30, which comprises six subarrangements of the type shown in FIG. 2 in a 23 matrix arrangement, and in addition one rectangular and two triangular subarrangements on either side of it.

[0036] To provide additional mechanical stability to the structure and adapt it better to the tissue, the cut-out meandering structure can be embedded in a stretchable polymer. This polymer can be either in the form of a closed film or be perforated, so that the structure can grow into the body tissues. The embedding can either be done by pressing in at an elevated temperature and pressure, the temperature being raised above the glass-transition temperature of the second polymer (e.g., PU), but still below that of the first polymer (e.g., LCP), or on the other hand by molding in a mold with a second polymer (e.g., silicone resin).

[0037] FIG. 4 schematically shows how the arrangement 30, shown in top view in FIG. 3, is applied to the periphery of a tubular base 40. This makes it possible, for example, to equip the periphery of a catheter with a regular array of electrode poles, in order, for example, to stimulate a longer section of a vessel, or to sense tissue potentials there. The electrode conductor arrangement 30 can be applied by pressing it on at elevated temperature, or, if a silicone tube is used as a base 40, it can also be done by inserting the electrode conductor arrangement into a corresponding mold and filling it with the silicone material.

[0038] FIG. 5 schematically shows, as another example of a use of the inventive electrode conductor arrangement, a distal end section of an electrode lead 50 that is equipped with an essentially rectangular electrode pole 57. A meandering lead 52, which is realized by a support/conductor track/cover composite of the above-described type, is applied to a stretchable silicone or PU tube 54 as a base body.

[0039] A schematic perspective representation or detail view of a modified embodiment of an electrically active catheter 60 is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Here, the base body is once again a stretchable PU or silicone tube 64, onto which each of three ring electrodes 67 is applied onto a substrate 66 in such a way that expansion joints 68 remain between them. The ring electrodes 67 are connected through an inventive lead structure 62, which once again has a zigzag or meandering course.

[0040] FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic sectional views showing perpendicular cutting planes through another medical implant 70, whose structure is, in theory, very similar to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and to the electrode conductor arrangement 10 described further above. Therefore, the reference numbers for the individual parts are based on those in FIGS. 1A-1B. The description relating to the parts is not repeated here.

[0041] In addition, the arrangement comprises a third polymer layer 80, which is arranged beneath a section of the support 73 and which has a functional component 90 embedded in it. The component 90 is connected to the conductor tracks 71 of the arrangement through second vias 79.2, which extend from the conductor tracks 71 in the opposite direction relative to the first vias 79.1 of the electrode pole 77. The additional component 90 can be, for example, sensors or ultrasonic transducers, which should be connected through the conductor tracks 71 of the electrode conductor arrangement for signal impingement or derivation.

[0042] Many other variants of the embodiments of the present invention shown here in the examples and aspects of the invention emphasized further above are possible.

[0043] 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.