Low-Cost Hermetic Packaging for Implantable electronics

描述(由申请人提供)： 虽然植入式电子系统继续显示出巨大的前景，但在封装和互连领域仍然存在重大缺陷。在这项拟议的努力中，福斯特-米勒公司将开发和展示一种新的、低成本、高可靠性的植入式电子产品密封封装技术。这一新的包装平台基于一种引人注目的新型材料，即热塑性液晶聚合物(LCP)。福斯特-米勒一直在开发一种基于这些创新的LCD的电子封装技术，用于许多电子和光电子应用。最近，福斯特-米勒一直在将他们的LCP薄膜技术应用于生物医学世界，特别是在神经假体领域。福斯特-米勒目前由NINDS资助开发基于LCD的微带电缆，作为现有硅和聚酰亚胺电缆的直接替代品。这项工作显示出了巨大的早期前景，LCP材料被证明具有极高的绝缘性(电)和生物惰性。这项拟议的努力建立在早期承诺的基础上，即扩大技术以解决植入电子产品的封装问题。除了优异的电学性能外，LCP还具有与玻璃相当的阻隔性能，比大多数其他聚合物高出几个数量级，从而提供了塑料密封包装技术的潜力，这是迄今为止无法想象的概念。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): While implantable electronic systems continue to show tremendous promise, major deficiencies remain in the area of packaging and interconnection. Foster-Miller, in this proposed effort, will develop and demonstrate a new, low-cost, highly reliable, hermetic packaging technology for implantable electronics. This new packaging platform is based on remarkable new class of materials known as thermoplastic Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs). Foster-Miller has been developing an electronic packaging technology based on these innovative LCPs for a host of electronic and optoelectronic applications. More recently, Foster-Miller has been applying their LCP film technology to the biomedical world, in particular in the area of neural prostheses. Foster-Miller is currently funded by NINDS to develop LCPbased microribbon cables as a direct replacement for existing silicon and polyimide cables. This work has shown great early promise with the LCP materials proving both extremely insulative (electrically) and biologically inert. This proposed effort builds on this early promise to expand the technology to address the packaging of implanted electronics. In addition to their excellent electrical properties, LCPs have barrier properties comparable to glass, several orders of magnitude greater than most other polymers, thus offering the potential of a plastic hermetic packaging technology, a hitherto unimaginable concept.