Implantable electrode array assembly with an array substrate, electrodes and integrated circuits, the integrated circuits being attached to package substrates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046158-B2
Application number	US-201213491777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2012
Priority date	Dec 11, 2009
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

An electrode array with a flexible array substrate on which plural spaced apart electrodes are disposed. Integrated circuits are disposed in the array substrate. The integrated circuits are mounted to package substrates. The package substrates are more rigid than the array substrate. Internal to each package substrate is at least one electrical conductor. The electrical conductor extends from a bond pad integral with integrated circuit at least partially through the package substrate. The electrical conductor functions as the conductive member that extends between the integrated circuit an electrode with which the integrated circuit is associated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrode array for application against living tissue, said electrode array including:
a plurality of electrode ASIC packages (EAPs) arranged in an array, each of said plurality of EAPs including:
an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit shaped to have opposed bottom and top surfaces and having components configured to at least one of: source current through an electrode; sink current from an electrode; or measure a potential at an electrode; and with said integrated circuit including at least one bond pad disposed on the bottom surface for establishing a conductive path to said components of said integrated circuit;
a package substrate that extends over the bottom surface of integrated circuit, said package substrate having at least one conductive member disposed therein that establishes an electrical connection to said at least one bond pad of said integrated circuit
a package shell formed from electrically insulating material, said package shell being disposed over said integrated circuit including the top surface of said integrated circuit; and
at least one electrode disposed over a section of said package shell that is disposed over the top surface of said integrated circuit so as to be rigidly integral with said integrated circuit, said at least one electrode formed from material that can be placed in contact with living tissue and through which current can be sourced to or sunk from the living tissue wherein, said at least one electrode is electrically connected to said components of said integrated circuit;

an array substrate formed from biocompatible, electrically insulating material, said array substrate having a first outer surface and wherein said package substrates of said plurality of EAPs are mounted to the first outer surface of said array substrate and said array substrate is further formed from material that is more flexible than said package substrates; and
at least one electrically conductive array conductor mounted to said array substrate over which signals are at least one of transmitted to or received from said components of said integrated circuits, said at least one array conductor being connected to said conductive members of said package substrates so that a conductive path is established through said at least one array conductor, said conductive members of said package substrates and said bond pads of said integrated circuits to the components of said integrated circuits.

2. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said EAPs is further formed so that:
said integrated circuit of said EAP further includes at least one side surface that extends between the bottom and top surfaces of said integrated circuit; and
said package shell extends over the at least one side surface of said integrated circuit; and
an electrode conductor extends between said integrated circuit and said electrode of said EAP so as to provide an electrical connection between said components of said integrated circuit and said electrode and said electrode conductor extends over said package shell so as to be disposed over a portion of said package shell that extends over the at least one side surface of said integrated circuit.

3. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said EAPs is further formed so that:
said package shell has at least one side surface that extends between the top and bottom surfaces of said integrated circuit;
said package substrate of said EAP is shaped to have a perimeter section that is located laterally outwardly from the side surface of said package shell;
said at least one electrode of said EAP is disposed over said package shell so as to be located over the top surface of said integrated circuit; and
said package substrate is further formed to contain a substrate conductor that extends from the bond pad of said integrated circuit of said EAP through said package substrate from the bottom surface of said integrated circuit to the perimeter section of said package substrate; and
an electrode conductor extends from an end of said substrate conductor located in the perimeter section of said package substrate to said electrode of said EAP to provide an electrical connection between said components of said integrated circuit and said electrode.

4. The electrode array of claim 1 , further including an array shell formed from flexible material disposed over said array substrate and around said package substrates of said plurality of EAPs.

5. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein:
said array substrate is formed to have a second outer surface opposite the first outer surface; and
an array shell formed from flexible material is disposed over the first and second outer surfaces of said array substrate and around said package substrates of said plurality of EAPs.

6. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein:
an array shell formed from flexible material is disposed over the first surface of said array substrate and around said package substrates of said plurality of EAPs; and
a frame is embedded in said array shell, said frame being more rigid than said array shell.

7. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein:
an array shell formed from flexible material is disposed over the first surface of said array substrate and around said package substrates of said plurality of EAPs; and
a frame is embedded in said array shell, said frame being more rigid than said array shell and being formed with windows and wherein said frame is embedded in said array shell so that said plurality of EAPs are seated in the windows of said frame.

8. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein said array substrate is a laminate formed from plural layers of material.

9. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein:
at least one of said EAPs has a package shell with a side surface that extends between the top and bottom surfaces of said integrated circuit of said at least one EAP and said package substrate of said at least one EAP has a perimeter section that is located laterally outwardly of the side surface of said package shell; and
an array shell separate from said package shells and said array substrate is disposed over said array shell and the perimeter section of said package substrate of said at least one EAP; and
a frame is embedded in said array shell, said frame having first and second opposed surfaces such that the package substrate of said at least one EAP is located outwardly of the first surface of said frame and said electrode of said at least one EAP is located outwardly of the second surface of said frame.

10. The electrode array of claim 1 , wherein said components of said integrated circuit of each of said EAPs comprise:
a current source configured to source current through said electrode;
a current sink configured to sink current from said electrode; and
a state machine configured to control an on/off state of said current source and said current sink and configured to control a level of current for said current source and said current sink.

11. An electrode array for application against living tissue, said electrode array including:
a plurality of electrode ASIC packages (EAPs) arranged in an array, each of said plurality of EAPs including:
an integrated circuit having opposed top and bottom surfaces, said integrated circuit containing components configured to at least one of: source current through an electrode; sink current from an electrode; or measure a potential at an electrode; and with said integrated circuit including and at least one bond pad disposed on the bottom surface for establishing a conductive path to said components of said integrated circuit;
a package substrate formed from electrically

Assignees

• Janik John
• Brindley Rob
• Tang Edward Chia Ning
• Dunlop Jr James Bernard
• Spangler Leland Joseph
• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Janik John
• Brindley Rob
• Tang Edward Chia-Ning
• Dunlop Jr James Bernard
• Spangler Leland Joseph

Classifications

• H10W74/114

  by a substrate and the encapsulations · CPC title

• H10W70/688

  Flexible insulating substrates · CPC title

• H10W70/611

  for connecting multiple chips together · CPC title

• A61N1/0551 Primary

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/0553

  Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy · CPC title