Electrical connection for an aimd emi filter utilizing an anisotropic conductive layer

A filtered feedthrough that is attachable to an active implantable medical device (AIMD), the filtered feedthrough comprising:

• a) a ferrule configured to be installed in an opening of a housing of the AIMD, the ferrule comprising a ferrule opening extending to a ferrule body fluid side opposite a ferrule device side, wherein, when the ferrule is installed in the opening of the AIMD housing, the ferrule body fluid side and the ferrule device side reside outside the housing and inside the housing, respectively;
• and
• b) an insulator hermetically sealed in the ferrule opening, the insulator having at least one via hole extending therethrough to an insulator body fluid side disposed at or adjacent to the ferrule body fluid side and an insulator device side disposed at or adjacent to the ferrule device side;
• c) an insulator conductive pathway disposed through and hermetically sealed to the insulator in the at least one via hole, wherein the insulator conductive pathway comprises an insulator conductive pathway body fluid side end disposed at or adjacent to the insulator body fluid side and an insulator conductive pathway device side end disposed at or adjacent to the insulator second side;
• d) a filter capacitor disposed adjacent to the ferrule device side, the filter capacitor comprising:
• i) a dielectric substrate supporting at least one active electrode plate interleaved in a capacitive relationship with at least one ground electrode plate, wherein the dielectric substrate extends to a dielectric substrate first side opposite a dielectric substrate second side, wherein the dielectric substrate first side is spaced closer to the insulator device side than to the insulator body fluid side;
• ii) a first passageway disposed through the dielectric substrate;
• iii) a capacitor active leadwire extending through the first passageway in the dielectric substrate and being electrically connected to the at least one active electrode plate, wherein an active leadwire first side end resides at or adjacent to the dielectric substrate first side and an active leadwire second side end resides at or adjacent to the dielectric substrate second side;
• and
• iv) a capacitor ground metallization disposed on an outer surface of the capacitor dielectric substrate and being electrically connected to the at least one ground electrode plate,
• e) an anisotropic conductive layer disposed between the capacitor dielectric substrate first side and the insulator device side and comprising an electrically insulative matrix supporting a plurality of electrically conductive particles, wherein the anisotropic conductive layer comprises:
• i) a first thickness that is longitudinally aligned with the capacitor leadwire first side end and the insulator conductive pathway device side end;
• and
• ii) a second, greater thickness where the capacitor leadwire body first end and the insulator conductive pathway device side end are not longitudinally aligned,
• iii) wherein the first thickness provides a longitudinally aligned portion of the electrically conductive particles being in contact with each other and with the capacitor leadwire first side end and the insulator conductive pathway device side end to thereby provide electrical continuity from the capacitor leadwire second side end to the insulator conductive pathway body fluid side end;
• and
• f) an electrically conductive material electrically connecting the capacitor ground metallization to the ferrule.

A filtered feedthrough for an active implantable medical device (AIMD), the filtered feedthrough comprising:

• a) an electrically conductive ferrule configured to hermetically seal an opening of a housing of the AIMD, the ferrule configured to separate a body fluid side opposite a device side, the ferrule including a ferrule opening extending between and to the body fluid side and the device side, wherein, when the ferrule is attached to the opening of the housing of the AIMD, the body fluid side resides outside the AIMD housing and device side resides inside the AIMD housing;
• b) an insulator hermetically sealing the ferrule opening, the insulator configured to separate the body fluid side and the device side;
• c) a first conductive pathway hermetically sealed to and disposed through the insulator between the body fluid side and the device side, the first conductive pathway being in nonelectrically conductive relation with the ferrule;
• d) a feedthrough capacitor disposed on the device side, the feedthrough capacitor comprising:
• i) at least one active electrode plate disposed parallel and spaced from at least one ground electrode plate, wherein the at least one active and ground electrode plates are disposed within a capacitor dielectric;
• ii) a capacitor active metallization electrically connected to the at least one active electrode plate and in non-electrically conductive relation with the at least one ground electrode plate;
• iii) a capacitor ground metallization electrically connected to the at least one ground electrode plate and in non-electrically conductive relation with the at least one active electrode plate;
• and
• e) an anisotropic conductive layer disposed on the device side, the anisotropic conductive layer electrically connecting the capacitor active metallization to the first conductive pathway.

An insulator and filter capacitor assembly, comprising:

• a) an insulator having at least one active via hole extending therethrough to an insulator body fluid side and an insulator device side;
• b) an insulator active conductive pathway disposed through and hermetically sealed to the insulator in the at least one active via hole, wherein the insulator active conductive pathway comprises an insulator active conductive pathway body fluid side end disposed at or adjacent to the insulator body fluid side and an insulator active conductive pathway device side end disposed at or adjacent to the insulator device side;
• c) a filter capacitor disposed adjacent to the insulator device side, the filter capacitor comprising:
• i) a dielectric substrate supporting at least one active electrode plate interleaved in a capacitive relationship with at least one ground electrode plate, wherein the dielectric substrate extends to a dielectric substrate first side opposite a dielectric substrate second side, and wherein the dielectric substrate first side is spaced closer to the insulator device side than to the insulator body fluid side;
• ii) a first passageway disposed through the dielectric substrate;
• and
• iii) a capacitor active conductive pathway extending through the first passageway and being electrically connected to the at least one active electrode plate, wherein a capacitor active conductive pathway first side end resides at or adjacent to the dielectric substrate first side and a capacitor active conductive pathway second side end resides at or adjacent to the dielectric substrate second side;
• d) an anisotropic conductive layer disposed between the capacitor dielectric substrate first side and the insulator device side and comprising an electrically insulative matrix supporting a plurality of electrically conductive particles, the anisotropic conductive layer comprising:
• i) a first active thickness that is longitudinally aligned with the capacitor active conductive pathway first side end and the insulator active conductive pathway device side end;
• and
• ii) a second, greater thickness where the capacitor active conductive pathway first side end and the insulator active conductive pathway device side end are not longitudinally aligned,
• iii) wherein the first active thickness provides at least one longitudinally aligned electrically conductive particle that is in contact with the capacitor active conductive pathway first side end and the insulator conductive pathway device side end to thereby provide electrical continuity from the capacitor active conductive pathway second side end to the insulator conductive pathway body fluid side end.