Patent ID: 9643002
Date: 2017-05-09
CPC Classifications: A61N,H05K,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method of making a flexible circuit electrode array comprising: depositing a polymer base layer, hard enough to support metal traces; depositing metal on said polymer base layer; patterning said metal to form metal traces and metal electrodes; depositing a polymer top layer on said polymer base layer and said metal traces preparing openings in said polymer top layer to expose said electrodes; depositing a soft polymer layer, softer than said polymer base layer, over said polymer top layer including covering at least a portion of its edges, the soft polymer layer being a part of the final device and suitable to protect neural tissue from the flexible circuit; preparing at least one first tack opening through said polymer base layer and said polymer top layer near said electrodes suitable for attaching said flexible circuit electrode array to a retina; and forming a membrane of polymer softer than said polymer base layer around the first tack opening, and forming a second tack opening within, and smaller than, said first tack opening, through the membrane of polymer, the softer polymer reducing stress transmitted from a tack to the flexible circuit electrode array.