IMPLANTABLE CO-FIRED ELECTRICAL FEEDTHROUGHS

The invention includes a family of miniaturized, hermetic electrical feedthrough assemblies adapted for implantation within a biological system. An electrical feedthrough assembly according to the invention can be used as a component of an implantable medical device such as an implantable pulse generator, cardioverter-defibrillator, physiologic sensor, drug-delivery system and the like. Such assemblies require biocompatibility and resistance to degradation under applied bias current or voltage. Such an assembly is fabricated by interconnected electrical pathways, or vias, of a conductive metallic paste disposed between ceramic green-state material. The layers are stacked together and sintered to form a substantially monolithic dielectric structure with at least one embedded metallization pathway extending through the structure. The metallization pathway reliably conducts electrical signals even when exposed to body fluids and tissue and providing reliable electrical communication. After sintering the structure is hermetically diffusion bonded to a part of a ferrule and/or adjacent support member.