Diffusion bonded lead connector

Abstract

A medical device lead connector includes electrically conducting contact rings spaced apart by an electrically insulating ring and in axial alignment. The electrically conducting contact ring and the insulating ring having an interface bond on an atomic level.

1 . A medical device lead connector comprising:
 electrically conducting contact rings spaced apart by an electrically insulating ring and in axial alignment, and the electrically conducting contact ring and the insulating ring having an interface bond on an atomic level.   
     
     
         2 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 1 , wherein the lead connector comprises a plurality of ring subassemblies fixed in axial alignment and each ring subassembly comprises the electrically insulating ceramic ring between an electrically conducting contact ring and an electrically conducting spacer ring bonded together with an interface bond on an atomic level. 
     
     
         3 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 2 , wherein adjacent ring subassemblies are welded together to form a rigid medical device lead connector. 
     
     
         4 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 3 , wherein the interface bond on an atomic level is a diffusion bond. 
     
     
         5 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 4 , wherein the electrically conducting contact ring comprises titanium or titanium alloys and the electrically insulating ring comprises sapphire or a ceramic material. 
     
     
         6 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 5 , wherein the electrically conducting contact ring comprises titanium and the electrically insulating ring comprises a metallization layer. 
     
     
         7 . A medical device lead connector according to  claim 6 , wherein the metallization layer comprises niobium, platinum, titanium or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . An implantable medical device comprising:
 a hermetically sealed housing defining a sealed housing interior;   a power source and electronics in electrical communication and disposed within the sealed housing interior; and   a lead connector projecting into the sealed housing interior and having an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lead aperture, the lead connector comprising one or more electrically conducting contact rings spaced apart by electrically insulating rings and joined together with a diffusion bond, the one or more electrically conducting contact rings in electrical communication with the electronics, and the diffusion bond providing a hermetic seal between the lead connector outer surface and the lead connector inner surface.   
     
     
         9 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 8 , wherein the lead connector comprises a plurality of ring subassemblies fixed in axial alignment, each ring subassembly comprises the diffusion bond fixing an electrically insulating ring between an electrically conducting contact ring and an electrically conducting spacer ring. 
     
     
         10 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 9 , wherein the diffusion bond directly bonds the electrically conducting contact ring and the electrically conducting spacer ring with the electrically insulating ring. 
     
     
         11 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 10 , wherein adjacent ring subassemblies are welded together for form a rigid lead connector. 
     
     
         12 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 11 , wherein the electrically conducting contact ring comprises titanium or titanium alloys and the electrically insulating ring comprises sapphire or a ceramic material. 
     
     
         13 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 12 , wherein the electrically conducting contact ring comprises titanium and the electrically insulating ring comprises a metallization layer. 
     
     
         14 . An implantable medical device according to  claim 13 , wherein the metallization layer comprises niobium, platinum, titanium or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector comprising:
 diffusion bonding an electrically insulating ring between a first electrically conducting contact ring and a second electrically conducting contact ring to form a joined element; and   joining an plurality of joined elements in axial alignment to form a lead connector.   
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 15 , wherein the joining step comprises welding a plurality of joined elements in axial alignment to form a lead connector. 
     
     
         17 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 15 , wherein the joining step comprises diffusion bonding a plurality of joined elements in axial alignment to form a lead connector. 
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 17 , further comprising sputtering a metallization layer onto the electrically insulating ring before the diffusion bonding step. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 18 , wherein the diffusion bonding step occurs at a temperature of less than 1000 degrees centigrade. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 19 , further comprising placing the lead connector element within a hermetic envelope of an active medical device. 
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a medical device lead connector according to  claim 20 , further comprising electrically connecting the lead connector element to a feedthrough of an active medical device.