Branched proximal connectors for high density neural interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12186570-B2
Application number	US-202217847457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2022
Priority date	Nov 16, 2018
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to branched proximal connectors for high density neural interfaces and methods of microfabricating the branched proximal connectors. Particularly, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a branched connector that includes a main body having a base portion of a supporting structure and a plurality of conductive traces formed on the base portion, and a plurality of plugs extending from the main body. Each plug of the plurality of plugs include an end portion of the supporting structure comprised of the one or more layers of dielectric material, and a subset of conductive traces from the plurality of conductive traces. Each trace from the subset of conductive traces terminates at a bond pad exposed on a surface of the end portion of the supporting structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thin-film lead assembly comprising:
a cable comprising a proximal end, a distal end, a first supporting structure that extends from the proximal end to the distal end, and a plurality of conductive traces formed on a portion of the first supporting structure;
an electrode assembly formed on the first supporting structure at the distal end of the cable, wherein the electrode assembly comprises one or more electrodes in electrical connection with one or more conductive traces of the plurality of conductive traces; and
a branched connector comprising: (i) a main body comprising a second supporting structure and a plurality of conductive connector traces, and (ii) a plurality of plugs extending from the main body, each plug of the plurality of plugs comprises the second supporting structure and a subset of conductive connecting traces from the plurality of conductive connecting traces,
wherein each trace from the subset of conductive connecting traces terminates at a bond pad exposed on a surface of the second supporting structure, and
wherein the plurality of conductive connector traces of the branched connector are in electrical contact with the plurality of conductive traces of the cable, respectively.

2. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second supporting structure is comprised of one or more layers of dielectric material, and the dielectric material is polyimide, liquid crystal polymer, parylene, polyether ether ketone, or a combination thereof.

3. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive connector traces are comprised of one or more layers of conductive material, and the conductive material is platinum (Pt), platinum/iridium (Pt/Ir), titanium (Ti), gold/titanium (Au/Ti), or any alloy thereof.

4. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second supporting structure of each plug is planar.

5. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second supporting structure of each plug is a cylindrical tube.

6. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second supporting structure of each of the plugs comprises a first layer of dielectric material and a second layer of dielectric material with the subset of conductive connecting traces buried between the first layer of dielectric material and the second layer of dielectric material.

7. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 6 , wherein each bond pad is a split annular ring positioned around an axis of the cylindrical tube and exposed on the surface of the cylindrical tube.

8. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 7 , wherein each split annular ring is spaced apart from one another on the surface of the cylindrical tube by a region of the first layer of the dielectric material.

9. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 7 , wherein the cylindrical tube comprises: (i) a plurality of layers of dielectric material comprising the first layer of dielectric material that defines an outer diameter of the cylindrical tube and the second layer of dielectric material that defines an inner diameter of the cylindrical tube; and (ii) a core that at least partially fills an interior of the cylindrical tube defined by the inner diameter of the cylindrical tube.

10. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of layers of dielectric material are at least partially wrapped around the core.

11. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of layers of dielectric material are formed as a split cylindrical tube wrapped around the core, and the split cylindrical tube comprises a gap for a split having a predefined width.

12. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first layer of dielectric material comprises at least one via for each bond pad, and the at least one via for each bond pad comprises a conductive material for electrically connecting each bond pad to at least one trace of the subset of conductive connecting traces such that each trace from the subset of conductive connecting traces terminates at a bond pad.

13. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 12 , wherein the first layer of dielectric material is a high temperature liquid crystal polymer, and the second layer of dielectric material is a low temperature liquid crystal polymer.

14. The thin-film lead assembly of claim 13 , wherein the core is comprised of one or more layers of material such that the core has a Shore durometer of greater than 70D.

15. A neuromodulation system comprising:
a neurostimulator comprising an electronics module;
a cable comprising a supporting structure and a plurality of conductive traces formed on a portion of the supporting structure, wherein the supporting structure is comprised of one or more layers of dielectric material;
an electrode assembly formed on the supporting structure, wherein the electrode assembly comprises one or more electrodes in electrical connection with one or more conductive traces of the plurality of conductive traces; and
a branched connector formed on the supporting structure at a proximal end of the cable, wherein the branched connector comprises: (i) a main body comprising the supporting structure and the plurality of conductive traces, and (ii) a plurality of plugs extending from the main body, each plug of the plurality of plugs comprises the supporting structure and a subset of conductive traces from the plurality of conductive traces,
wherein the branched connector electrically connects each subset of conductive traces from the plurality of conductive traces to the electronics module.

16. The neuromodulation system of claim 15 , wherein each trace from the subset of conductive traces terminates at a bond pad exposed on a surface of the supporting structure.

17. The neuromodulation system of claim 15 , wherein the supporting structure of each plug is planar.

18. The neuromodulation system of claim 15 , wherein the supporting structure of each plug is a cylindrical tube.

19. The neuromodulation system of claim 18 , wherein the supporting structure of each of the plugs comprises a first layer of dielectric material and a second layer of dielectric material with the subset of conductive traces buried between the first layer of dielectric material and the second layer of dielectric material.

20. The neuromodulation system of claim 19 , wherein each bond pad is a split annular ring positioned around an axis of the cylindrical tube and exposed on a surface of the cylindrical tube.

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Lu Bo
• Shah Kedar

Classifications

• H10W72/50

  Bond wires · CPC title

• H05K1/092

  Dispersed materials, e.g. conductive pastes or inks · CPC title

• H05K1/115

  Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R2201/12

  for medicine and surgery · CPC title

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title