Implantable connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018277970-A1
Application number	US-201815923490-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Sep 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An implantable connector for connecting an electronics package and a neural interface is described. The connection between the electronics package and the neural interface is made by way of a set of compressible contacts (e.g., springs) that physical contact a set of corresponding exposed bond pads. The compressible contacts are held in compression with the exposed bond pads using a mechanical coupler. The compressible contacts are physically separated and electrically isolated from each other by way of a compressible gasket. The compressible gasket is also held in compression using the mechanical coupler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
a first component comprising:
an interconnect board comprising a first board surface and a second board surface;
a first conductive conduit extending between a first bond pad on the first board surface and a second bond pad on the second board surface; and
an electric lead electrically connected to the first conductive conduit via the first bond pad;
a second component comprising:
a feedthrough substrate comprising a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface;
a second conductive conduit extending between a third bond pad on the first substrate surface and a fourth bond pad on the second substrate surface;
an electronic device electrically connected to the second conductive conduit via the third bond pad; and
a housing under which is disposed the electronic device and the first substrate surface;
a compressible electrical contact attached to at least one of the second bond pad or the fourth bond pad; and a compressible gasket attached to at least one of the interconnect board or the feedthrough substrate, the compressible gasket extending about the compressible electrical contact, wherein, when the first component and the second component are mechanically coupled, the compressible electrical contact is compressed so as to electrically connect the first conductive conduit and the second conductive conduit.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, when the first component and the second component are mechanically coupled, the compressible gasket is compressed to electrically isolate the compressible electrical contact.

3 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical coupler that mechanically couples the first component and the second component.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the mechanical coupler comprises at least one of a set of mechanical clamps, a set of screws, or a set of biased clips.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more alignment structures for geometrically aligning an orientation of the first component with respect to the second component.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the interconnected board comprises a lip extending around an exterior edge of the interconnected board; and engagement between the housing and the exterior edge of the interconnect board forms a mechanical coupler that mechanically couples the first component and the second component.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first conductive conduit is one of a first plurality of conductive conduits extending between first respective bond pads on the first board surface and second respective bond pads on the second board surface; the second conductive conduit is one of a second plurality of conductive conduits extending between third respective bond pads on the first substrate surface and fourth respective bond pads on the second substrate surface; the compressible electrical contact is one of a plurality of compressible electrical contacts; and the compressible gasket extends around the plurality of compressible electrical contacts.

8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the compressible gasket electrically isolates and physically separates the plurality of compressible electrical contacts.

9 . The device of claim 7 , wherein the compressible gasket comprises a plurality of compressible gaskets each of which electrically isolates and physically separates a respective compressible electrical contact of the plurality of compressible electrical contacts.

10 . The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the second respective bond pads are aligned in a first two-dimensional array; and the fourth respective bond pads are aligned in a second two-dimensional array corresponding to the first two-dimensional array.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein individual compressible electrical contacts of the plurality of compressible electrical contacts are aligned with the first two-dimensional array and the second two-dimensional array.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first component further comprises an epoxy insulating layer disposed on the first board surface and covering at least a portion of the electric lead.

13 . A device, comprising:
a planar board comprising a first set of conductive pathways extending between a first side of the planar board and a second side of the planar board; first electrical contacts disposed on the first side of the planar board; a first set of bond pads disposed on the second side of the planar board, the first set of bond pads electrically connected to the first electrical contacts via the first set of conductive pathways; a planar substrate comprising a second set of conductive pathways extending between a first side of the planar substrate and a second side of the planar substrate; second electrical contacts disposed on the first side of the planar substrate; a second set of bond pads disposed on the second side of the planar substrate, the second set of bond pads electrically connected to the second electrical contacts; a set of compressible electrical contacts extending between the first set of bond pads and the second set of bond pads; and a mechanical coupler extending between the planar board and the planar substrate, the mechanical coupler configured to couple the planar board and the planar substrate, the set of compressible electrical contacts held in compression by the mechanical coupler so as to electrically connect the first electrical contacts and the second electrical contacts.

14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the first electrical contacts form a neural interface comprising a plurality of electrical leads.

15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the second electrical contacts comprise a set of electrical contacts electrically connected to an electronic device.

16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the first electrical contacts comprises a first set of electrical leads and the second electrical contacts comprises a second set of electrical leads, the set of compressible electrical contacts electrically connecting individual ones of the first set of electrical leads and individual ones of the second set of electrical leads.

17 . The device of claim 13 , further comprising a compressible gasket that is held in compression by the mechanical coupler so as to electrically isolate the set of compressible electrical contacts.

18 . The device of claim 13 , further comprising a compressible gasket that is held in compression by the mechanical coupler so as to physically separate the set of compressible electrical contacts.

19 . The device of claim 13 , wherein each compressible electrical contact of the set of compressible electrical contacts is defined by a compression axis, each compressible electrical contact compressible in a first direction along the compression axis and extendable in a second direction along the compression axis.

20 . The device of claim 13 , wherein a pitch value measured between a first compressible electrical contact and a second compressible electrical contact is between 0.1 millimeters and 2 millimeters.

21 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the mechanical coupler comprises at least one of a set of mechanical clamps, a set of screws, or a set of biased clips.

22 . The device of claim 13 , further comprising an alignment structure disposed between the planar board and the planar substrate, the alignment structure mechanically maintaining planarity between the planar board and

Assignees

• Verily Life Sciences Llc

Inventors

• Shah Kedar

Classifications

• H05K3/368

  parallel to each other (H05K3/361 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R2201/12

  for medicine and surgery · CPC title

• H05K1/144 Primary

  Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards · CPC title

• A61B5/14503

  invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors (A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/6846

  specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive · CPC title