Forming feedthroughs for hermetically sealed housings using two-material powder injection molding

A method of forming an implantable device comprising a feedthrough using a mold that defines a cavity when closed and including one or more cores configured to move in and out of the mold cavity, the method comprising:

• injecting non-electrically conductive powder injection molding (PIM) feedstock into the mold cavity to form a container at least partially around the cores disposed in the mold cavity;
• removing the cores from the container to form one or more core cavities;
• injecting electrically conductive PIM feedstock into the core cavities to form one or more conductors in the core cavities, respectively, each conductor having a first end exposed in a recess of the container and a second end exposed adjacent an outer surface of the container;
• sintering the container and the conductors;
• and
• hermetically sealing a lid to the container to form a first housing.

A method of forming a hermetically sealed housing comprising a feedthrough using a mold that defines a first mold cavity when closed and includes a plurality of first cores configured to move in and out of the first mold cavity, the method comprising:

• injecting non-electrically conductive powder injection molding (PIM) feedstock into the first mold cavity to form a first insulative body at least partially around the first cores disposed in the first mold cavity;
• removing the first cores from the first mold cavity to form a plurality of first core cavities each disposed in or adjacent to the first insulative body;
• injecting the heated, electrically conductive metallic PIM feedstock into the first core cavities to form a first container having one or more conductors and one or more first metallic attachment elements, wherein each of the one or more conductors has a first end exposed in a recess of the first insulative body and a second end exposed adjacent an outer surface of the first insulative body;
• sintering the container;
• and
• joining one or more second metallic attachment elements of a lid to the first metallic attachment elements, respectively, to form a hermetically sealed housing.