Method of manufacturing a ceramic bushing for an implantable medical device

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrical bushing including at least one electrically insulating base body of a ceramic compound and at least one electrical conducting element, the conducting element comprising at least one cermet and, at least in part, is hermetically sealed with respect to the base body. The method includes manufacturing the at least one base body and introducing the at least one conducting element into the base body in non-sintered or pre-sintered condition. The base body and conducting element are joint sintered. The same ceramic compound is used for the cermet of the conducting element and for the base body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing an electrical bushing comprising at least one electrically insulating base body of a ceramic compound and at least one electrical conducting element, the conducting element comprising at least one cermet and is hermetically sealed with respect to the base body, the method comprising:
 manufacturing the at least one base body and introducing the at least one conducting element into the base body in non-sintered or pre-sintered condition;   joint sintering of the base body and conducting element; and   using the same ceramic compound for the cermet of the conducting element and for the base body.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet of the conducting element from platinum and aluminum oxide and producing the ceramic of the base body from aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet of the conducting element from platinum and aluminum oxide containing 10% zirconium dioxide and producing the ceramic of the base body from aluminum oxide containing 10% zirconium dioxide. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising mixing 40 vol. % Pt powder with a mean grain size of 10 μm, and 60 vol. % Al 2 O 3 /ZrO 2  powder with a relative ZrO 2  content of 10% and a mean grain size of 1 μm with water and a binding agent to form the at least one cermet of the conducting element. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising mixing a powder with an Al 2 O 3  content of 90% and a ZrO 2  content of 10% and a mean grain size of approximately 1 μm in water and a binding agent to form the ceramic of the base body. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet of the conducting element using a metal component, selected from a group consisting of: platinum, a platinum alloy, iridium, niobium, molybdenum, titanium, a titanium alloy, cobalt, zirconium, chromium, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, tungsten, a tungsten alloy, and in that the cermet of electrical bushing comprises a ceramic component selected from a group consisting of: aluminum oxide, Al2O3, zirconium oxide, ZrO2, magnesium oxide, MgO, ZTA, ATZ, Y-TZP, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, a piezoceramic material, and a lead-free piezoceramic material. 
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an electrical bushing for use in a housing of an implantable medical device, the electrical bushing comprising at least one electrically insulating base body and at least one electrical conducting element, the conducting element establishing, through the base body, at least one electrically conductive connection between an internal space of the housing and an external space, the method comprising:
 manufacturing the at least one base body comprising a ceramic, and introducing the at least one conducting element, comprising at least one cermet, into the base body;   joint sintering the base body and conducting element; and   using the same ceramic compound for the cermet of the conducting element and for the base body.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet using a metal component, selected from a group consisting of: platinum, a platinum alloy, iridium, niobium, molybdenum, titanium, a titanium alloy, cobalt, zirconium, chromium, tantalum, a tantalum alloy, tungsten, a tungsten alloy, and in that the cermet of electrical bushing comprises a ceramic component selected from a group consisting of: aluminum oxide, Al2O3, zirconium oxide, ZrO2, magnesium oxide, MgO, ZTA, ATZ, Y-TZP, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, a piezoceramic material, and a lead-free piezoceramic material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising producing the base body from a ceramic component selected from a group consisting of: aluminum oxide, Al2O3, zirconium oxide, ZrO2, magnesium oxide, MgO, ZTA, ATZ, Y-TZP, aluminum nitride, aluminum titanate, a piezoceramic material, and a lead-free piezoceramic material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet of the conducting element from platinum and aluminum oxide and producing the ceramic of the base body from aluminum oxide. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising producing the at least one cermet of the conducting element from platinum and aluminum oxide containing 10% zirconium dioxide and producing the ceramic of the base body from aluminum oxide containing 10% zirconium dioxide. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising forming at least one metallic frame element about the electrical bushing such that the frame element fixes the base body in at least one housing opening of the housing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising connecting the base body to at least one frame opening in the frame element such that the base body and the conducting element close the frame opening in a hermetically sealed manner. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising coupling the frame element to the base body using at least one of a firmly bonded connection, a soldered connection and a welded connection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising forming at least one metallization layer between the base body the frame element to form a firmly bonded connection. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising connecting the frame element to the housing in a firmly bonded manner using at least one of a soldered connection and a welded connection.