Package for a retinal prosthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9931507-B2
Application number	US-201615207425-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2005
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

The present invention is an improved hermetic package for a retinal prosthesis implanted in the human body. The retinal prosthesis includes a flexible circuit electrode array suitable to stimulate the retina while connected to a hermetic package on the outside of the eye, the hermetic package including a cover and a base where the cover is bonded to the base such that the cover and base form the hermetic package.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A retinal prosthesis comprising:
a biocompatible package comprising
a planar base, including an electrically non-conductive substrate and biocompatible patterned metallization comprising gold on the non-conductive substrate,
a circuit attached directly to a first side of the base wherein the circuit is smaller than the base, and
a rounded cover, the base and the rounded cover forming the biocompatible package;

a molded polymer body pre-curved to match the curvature of a typical sclera and including suture tabs in the molded polymer body suitable to attach the biocompatible package to an outside surface of a sclera; and
a flexible circuit electrically connected to the circuit, the flexible circuit extending from the biocompatible package and suitable to pass through a pars plana and having an array of electrodes suitable to stimulate retinal tissue.

2. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the molded body is curved to approximate the shape of the sclera.

3. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , further comprising a coil receiving electrical power to power the circuit.

4. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically non-conductive substrate contains ceramic.

5. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the patterned metallization is multiple layer metallization and the circuit is bonded to the patterned metallization.

6. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 5 , wherein the multiple layer metallization is chosen to withstand braze temperatures.

7. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 6 , wherein the multiple layer metallization comprises more than one of the metals titanium, tantalum, gold, palladium, platinum or layers or alloys thereof.

8. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a flip-chip integrated circuit.

9. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit is a wire bonded circuit.

10. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a wall and a lid and the wall is brazed to the base.

11. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit is bump bonded to the base with conductive bumps.

12. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 8 , further comprising a polymer underfill under the flip-chip integrated circuit.

13. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 11 , wherein the conductive bumps contain at least one conductive polymer.

14. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 11 , wherein the conductive bumps contain at least one conductive epoxy or polyimide.

15. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 1 , further comprising a getter.

16. The retinal prosthesis according to claim 15 , wherein the getter is placed on the inside of the cover.

Assignees

• Second Sight Medical Products Inc

Inventors

• Greenberg Robert J
• Ok Jerry
• Neysmith Jordan
• Wilkin Kevin
• Talbot Neil Hamilton
• Chang Da-Yu

Classifications

• H10W90/734

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W72/877

  Bump connectors and die-attach connectors · CPC title

• A61N1/37518

  Anchoring of the implants, e.g. fixation · CPC title

• A61N1/375

  Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings · CPC title