US 12,144,651 B2
Flexible neural electrode array
Martin Schuettler, Emmendingen (DE); Juan Sebastian Ordonez, Ghent (BE); and Tom Colin Bierbrauer, Freiburg (DE)
Assigned to CorTec GmbH, Freiburg (DE)
Filed by CorTec GmbH, Freiburg (DE)
Filed on May 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/196,909.
Application 18/196,909 is a division of application No. 15/688,233, filed on Aug. 28, 2017, granted, now 11,647,960.
Prior Publication US 2023/0277137 A1, Sep. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/24 (2021.01); A61B 5/291 (2021.01); A61N 1/05 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/6877 (2013.01) [A61B 5/24 (2021.01); A61B 5/291 (2021.01); A61N 1/0534 (2013.01); A61N 1/0551 (2013.01); A61N 1/0553 (2013.01); A61N 1/0556 (2013.01); A61B 2562/046 (2013.01); A61B 2562/125 (2013.01); A61B 2562/164 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a flexible neural cuff electrode array, the method comprising the following steps:
a) depositing a layer of polymer on a mechanical carrier;
b) removing the polymer layer, using a laser, from locations where weld contacts are to be formed;
c) laminating a metal foil on the polymer layer;
d) cutting the metal foil to shape with a laser, thus forming meander structures, the meander structures extending in a longitudinal direction of the metal foil and having outer edges along the longitudinal direction and straight inner edges across the longitudinal direction, each of the straight inner edges having one end at one of the outer edges and another end within the meander structure, perforating the outer edges of the meander structures with the laser thus forming anchoring holes in the meander structures, forming circular cut-aways at the inner ends of the straight inner edges of the meander structures, which are made from the metal foil;
e) depositing a covering polymer layer such that the polymer layer reaches through the anchoring holes, and mechanically fixates the meander structures;
f) forming the weld contacts by ablating the polymer layer from the locations, and forming at least one electrode contact by ablating the polymer from at least one area of the polymer covering the metal layer.