Casing of implantable device and implantable device, method for manufacturing casing of implantable device, and method for supporting treatment using implantable device

To allow an implantable device including an electronic circuit to be implanted in the head in a more preferable manner in terms of appearance and safely. This implantable device is used for a brain-machine interface or the like. A casing of an implantable device configured to be implanted in a human head has an outer convexity surface matching an external shape of a resected skull related to at least a craniotomy site of the artificial bone designed in accordance with a skull shape of each person in order to fill the craniotomy site. That is, the outer convexity surface of the artificial bone is provided with two functions: the original function of filling the craniotomy site as the artificial bone and a function of serving as the casing of the implantable device.

The abstract as published by the patent office, from US2015289980A1. It describes the invention; it is not a statement of what is protected.

• Surgical access

  Surgical planning and procedure

• Interface and electrodes

  Electrodes and arrays

• Implant electronics

  Implant electronics

• Packaging

  Packaging and hermeticity

What the filing appears to be about, read by published rules from its title, abstract and classification codes (A61B2562/164, A61B2562/166, A61B2562/222, A61B5/293, A61B5/6868). The claims define what a patent protects, and they are not read here.

Surgical access

A probe soft enough for the brain to tolerate is too soft to push in by hand, and each route into the head has its own risk. The problem behind it: placing many contacts exactly, without injuring tissue or vessels, in an operation short and repeatable enough to offer widely.

Interface and electrodes

Everything downstream works with what the contacts pick up. Their number, size and distance from the neurons set the ceiling on the signal. The problem behind it: more contacts, closer to neurons, that still record after years in tissue that reacts to them.

Implant electronics

An implant has room for very little, so functions that fill a rack in the laboratory have to fit on a chip. The problem behind it: fitting channel count, computing and safety functions into a volume and a heat budget the body accepts.

Why the layer matters to the field, not a judgement of this filing. A patent family shows that protection was sought. It does not show that the technology was built, is used in a product, or works in people. The whole stack

One invention, published 6 times in 3 offices. Each publication opens in Espacenet.

• International (PCT)a route to several countries, not a countryWO2012063377A118 May 2012
• JapanJPWO2012063377A112 May 2014JP5746206B28 Jul 2015 · grant
• United StatesUS2015289980A115 Oct 2015US2017049398A123 Feb 2017US10617361B214 Apr 2020 · grant

1. 9 Nov 2010First filingEarliest priority, at Japan. The family is counted in this year.
2. 10 Mar 2011ApplicationsFiled at International (PCT), Japan.
3. 18 May 2012First publicationWO2012063377A1, International (PCT).
4. 4 Oct 2012Owner recordedUnited States, on US2015289980A1: assignment; owner named: OSAKA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN.
5. 4 Dec 2013Office recordInternational (PCT), on WO2012063377A1: ep: pct application non-entry in european phase.
6. 8 Jul 2015Grant publishedJP5746206B2, Japan.
7. 30 Aug 2016ApplicationFiled at United States.
8. 7 Nov 2016Office recordUnited States, on US2015289980A1: information on status: application discontinuation.
9. 14 Apr 2020Grant publishedUS10617361B2, United States.
10. 15 May 2021Office recordJapan, on JPWO2012063377A1: cancellation because of no payment of annual fees.

Dates as the offices published them. Office records are in the offices' own words and are a selection: refusals, lapses and withdrawals, and records that name an owner. Each concerns one member of the family, not the family as a whole, and another member in the same office may stand. Whether a patent is in force today is not assessed.

• Bibliographic data, family members and office records: European Patent Office, Open Patent Services (the DOCDB and INPADOC databases), read 7 Oct 2026.
• The record itself, with its claims and description: US2015289980A1 in Espacenet
• Counted as a BCI patent family: title or abstract names the field; classified G06F3/015 (input arrangements based on nervous-system activity). How families are found and judged