Intra-body electrode with a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based coating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12575775-B2
Application number	US-202217940771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2022
Priority date	Sep 27, 2021
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure are directed to an apparatus comprising an intra-body electrode, and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based coating. The PEDOT-based coating is on a surface of the intra-body electrode. And, the PEDOT-based coating includes a PEDOT-backbone doped with counter ions and cross-linked to a photoreactive polymer and a photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an intra-body electrode; and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based coating on a surface of the intra-body electrode, the PEDOT-based coating including a PEDOT-backbone doped with tetrafluoroborate (TFB) counter ions and cross-linked to a photoreactive polymer and a photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer; wherein the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating is configured to provide a capacitance of at least sixty microfarad per square millimeter (μF/mm 2 ) and to exhibit a relative difference in impedance magnitude at ten kilohertz (kHz) and at ten Hz of five percent or less.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further including an elongate conduit, wherein the intra-body electrode is positioned on an exterior surface of the elongate conduit.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the photoreactive polymer is non-charged and is configured to provide passivation against protein and cell adhesion when the intra-body electrode is implantable, and the intra-body electrode is configured to capture physiological signals.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the intra-body electrode includes a conductive material and the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer is non-charged and is a hydrogel configured to provide lubricity and wettability to the PEDOT-based coating on the surface of the intra-body electrode.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitance is at least seventy microfarad per square millimeter (μF/mm 2 ).

6 . An apparatus, comprising:
an intra-body electrode; and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based coating on a surface of the intra-body electrode, the PEDOT-based coating including a PEDOT-backbone doped with tetrafluoroborate (TFB) counter ions, the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating configured to provide a charge storage capacity of at least 360 microcoulomb per square millimeter (μC/mm 2 ) and up to 902 μC/mm 2 .

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating is further configured to provide a total charge storage capacity of at least five hundred microcoulomb per square millimeter (μC/mm 2 ) and up to 902 microcoulomb per square millimeter (μC/mm 2 ).

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating is further configured to maintain electrode potentials within a water stability window and minimize electrode polarization under electrical stimuli.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further including:
an elongate conduit that carries electrically conductive wires; and a plurality of intra-body electrodes positioned on an exterior surface of the elongate conduit and coupled to the electrically conductive wires, the plurality of intra-body electrodes including the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating and being configured to capture physiological signals and to deliver electrical signals.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the PEDOT-backbone doped with TFB counter ions is cross-linked to a photoreactive polymer and a photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer.

11 . A method, comprising:
a. adding a layer of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-based polymer on an intra-body electrode using a solution, the layer of PEDOT-based polymer including PEDOT doped with counter ions and cross-linked to a photoreactive polymer, wherein the counter ions include tetrafluoroborate (TFB); b. incorporating a photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer with the layer of PEDOT-based polymer; and c. curing the layer of PEDOT-based polymer to the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer to form a PEDOT-based coating on the intra-body electrode, the PEDOT-based coating including the PEDOT doped with the counter ions and cross-linked to the photoreactive polymer and the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer; d. wherein the intra-body electrode with the PEDOT-based coating is configured to provide a capacitance of at least sixty microfarad per square millimeter (μF/mm 2 ) and to exhibit a relative difference in impedance magnitude at ten kilohertz (kHz) and at ten Hz of five percent or less.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein incorporating the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer with the layer of PEDOT-based polymer includes dip coating the intra-body electrode with the layer of PEDOT-based polymer in a solution that includes the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer dissolved in a solvent.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein curing the layer of PEDOT-based polymer to the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer includes exposing the layer of PEDOT-based polymer with the incorporated photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer on the intra-body electrode to ultraviolet light for a period of time.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further including curing an additional amount of the photoreactive polymer to the layer of PEDOT-based polymer.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further including forming the solution by dissolving a 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomer in a solvent, wherein the solution includes the EDOT monomer, the photoreactive polymer, the counter ions, and the solvent.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the solution includes tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBATFB), and the solvent includes acetonitrile, and the PEDOT-based coating includes a PEDOT:TFB structure cross-linked to the photoreactive polymer and the photoreactive-hydrophilic polymer.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein adding the layer of PEDOT-based polymer includes electrochemically depositing the PEDOT doped with the counter ions on a surface of the intra-body electrode using the solution, wherein the PEDOT doped with the counter ions on the surface of the intra-body electrode includes a PEDOT:tetrafluoroborate (TFB) structure that passively incorporates the photoreactive polymer.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein electrochemically depositing the layer includes depositing the PEDOT doped with the counter ions using potentiostatic electrochemical deposition by applying a voltage for a period of time to the intra-body electrode while the intra-body electrode is submerged in the solution.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein electrochemically depositing the layer includes depositing the PEDOT doped with the counter ions using cyclic voltammetry between a voltage range and at a scan rate for a number of cycles.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further including curing the PEDOT doped with the counter ions to the passively incorporated photoreactive polymer to form the layer of PEDOT-based polymer including the PEDOT doped with the counter ions cross-linked to the photoreactive polymer.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Shi Alan

Classifications

• A61B2562/125

  characterised by the manufacture of electrodes · CPC title

• A61B5/6847

  mounted on an invasive device · CPC title

• A61B5/268 Primary

  containing conductive polymers, e.g. PEDOT:PSS polymers · CPC title

• A61N1/05 Primary

  for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode (A61N1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title