Electrically conductive implantable medical device

1. An electrode for an implantable medical device, the electrode comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements comprising a diamond material, the diamond material being a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds, the diamond material being, in use, arranged for stimulating neurons; and

at least one electrically insulating element covering at least a portion of each electrically conductive element and comprising a diamond material.

2. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the electrode is exclusively formed from a diamond material.

3. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the electrode comprises exclusively a diamond material and a metallic material.

4. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the diamond material of the at least one electrically insulating element comprises a dopant or incorporated material that influences an electrical property of the material.

5. The electrode of claim 1 wherein each electrically conductive element is in direct contact with and the at least one electrically insulating element and an interface between the electrically conductive elements and the at least one electrically insulating element is hermetically sealed.

6. The electrode of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen incorporated diamond material of the at least one electrically conductive element is a nitrogen incorporated nano-crystalline diamond material.

7. An electrode for an implantable medical device, the electrode comprising:

a plurality of electrically conductive elements formed from a first material that comprises an electrically conductive nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds, the diamond material being, in use, arranged for stimulating neurons; and

at least one electrically insulating element formed from a second material and covering at least a portion of each electrically conductive element;

wherein the first and second materials have substantially the same crystallographic structures and lattice constants.

8. A medical device comprising the electrode in accordance with claim 1 , the medical device comprising:

a housing portion that defines an interior region; and

electronic components positioned in the interior region of the housing portion.

9. The medical device of claim 8 wherein the electrode comprises an array of the electrically conducive elements and forms a lid of the housing portion.

10. A method of manufacturing an electrode for an implantable medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of electrically conductive elements comprising a diamond material, the diamond material being a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds, the diamond material being, in use, arranged for stimulating neurons; and

forming a least one electrically insulating element that covers at least portions of the electrically conductive elements and comprises a diamond material in a manner such that the diamond material of the electrically conductive elements and the diamond material of the at least one electrically insulating element are in direct contact and an interface between the first and second materials is hermetically sealed.

11. A method of manufacturing an electrode for an implantable medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

forming a plurality of electrically conductive elements comprising an electrically conductive nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds, the diamond material being, in use, arranged for stimulating neurons; and

forming a least one electrically insulating element that covers at least portions of the electrically conductive elements and comprises a second material in a manner such that the electrically conductive nitrogen incorporated diamond material and the second material are in direct contact and an interface between the materials is hermetically sealed;

wherein the materials have substantially the same crystallographic structure and lattice constant.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second material is a diamond material.

13. An implantable medical device having an electrical feedthrough, the device comprising:

a housing portion having an exterior surface and an aperture;

an electrically conductive material penetrating though the aperture of the housing portion and being arranged for electrically coupling a component positioned inside the housing with a component that is exterior the housing, the electrically conductive material comprising a diamond material, the diamond material being a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds; and

an electrically insulating material positioned over the electrically conductive material to provide electrical insulation, the electrically insulating material comprising a diamond material;

wherein the electrically conductive and the electrically insulating materials are arranged such that the aperture is sealed and the housing is fluid impermeable in the proximity of the feedthrough.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the aperture is sealed around the electrically conductive material using a single material component.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a first portion that has penetrated into the aperture and provides a seal between the electrically conductive material and the housing portion and a second portion that coats a portion of the housing portion around the aperture.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the first and second portions of the electrically insulating material comprise the diamond material and are integrally formed and form one part that is rigidly coupled to the housing portion and the electrically conductive material.

17. A method of manufacturing a feedthrough for an implantable medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wall portion of a housing of the device;

forming an aperture through the wall portion;

forming an electrically conductive material such that the electrically conductive material penetrates though the aperture of the housing portion and is arranged for electrically coupling a component positioned inside the housing with a component that is exterior the housing, the electrically conductive material comprising a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds; and

forming an electrically insulating material positioned over the electrically conductive material to provide electrical insulation, the electrically insulating material comprising a diamond material;

wherein at least one of the electrically conductive and the electrically insulating material is positioned such that the aperture is sealed and the housing is fluid impermeable in the proximity of the feedthrough.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of forming the electrically insulating and the electrically conductive materials comprises depositing diamond material using chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

19. A method of manufacturing a feedthrough for an implantable medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wall portion of a housing of the device;

forming an aperture through the wall portion; forming an electrically conductive material such that the electrically conductive material penetrates though the aperture of the housing portion and is arranged for electrically coupling a component positioned inside the housing with a component that is exterior the housing, the electrically conductive material comprising a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds; and

forming an electrically insulating material positioned over the electrically conductive material to provide electrical insulation, the electrically insulating material comprising a diamond material;

wherein at least one of the electrically conductive material and the electrically insulating material is at least partially formed by chemical vapour deposition (CVD).

20. A method of manufacturing a feedthrough for an implantable medical device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a wall portion of a housing of the device, the wall portion being composed of an electrically insulating diamond material;

forming an aperture through the wall portion; and

forming an electrically conductive diamond material such that the electrically conductive material penetrates though the aperture of the housing portion and is arranged for electrically coupling a component positioned inside the housing with a component that is exterior the housing, the electrically conductive diamond material being a nitrogen incorporated diamond material comprising sp 2 and sp 3 carbon bonds;

wherein the electrically conductive diamond material is positioned such that the aperture is sealed and the housing is fluid impermeable in the proximity of the feedthrough.