Zirconia to Ti-6Al-4V braze joint for implantable biomedical device

✍ Scribed by Guangqiang Jiang; Delta Mishler; Ross Davis; Jon Phil Mobley; Joseph H. Schulman

• Book ID: 102295937
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 281 KB
• Volume: 72B
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1552-4973
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.30161

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A strong, hermetic, reliable, and biocompatible ceramic‐to‐metal seal is essential for many implantable medical devices. Yttria‐stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y‐TZPs) and a titanium alloy Ti‐6Al‐4V were selected as the ceramic and metal components of the seal because both materials have excellent mechanical properties and favorable biocompatibility. A brazing method using titanium nickel (TiNi)‐clad braze filler material is presented to bond the components together forming a seal. Laboratory tests show that the ceramic‐to‐metal seal is hermetic, strong, and resistant to electrochemical corrosion. Twenty‐eight microstimulators utilizing the ceramic‐to‐metal seals were implanted in seven sheep to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve. When the tissue was evaluated by gross inspection at necropsy and examined histologically by a pathologist, there were no signs of local hemorrhage, infection, or hypoglossal nerve tissue damage. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 72B: 316–321, 2005