Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Electrolytic systems or devices – Liquid electrolytic capacitor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-04
2004-01-06
Dinkins, Anthony (Department: 2831)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Electrolytic systems or devices
Liquid electrolytic capacitor
C361S519000, C607S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06674634
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to electrolytic capacitors and, more particularly to flat electrolytic capacitors for use in implantable heart monitors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Since the early 1980s, thousands of patients prone to irregular and sometimes life threatening heart rhythms have had miniature heart-monitoring devices, such as defibrillators, pacemakers, and cardioverters, implanted in their bodies. These devices detect onset of abnormal heart rhythms and automatically apply corrective electrical therapy, specifically one or more bursts of electric current, to their hearts. When the bursts of electric current are properly sized and timed, they restore normal heart function without human intervention, sparing patients considerable discomfort and often saving their lives.
The typical implantable heart-monitoring device includes a set of electrical leads, which extend from a sealed housing for implantation into the inner walls of a heart. The housing itself is typically somewhat flat and rectangular with rounded edges and corners to reduce stress on surrounding tissues after implantation. Within the housing are a battery for supplying power, heart-monitoring circuitry for monitoring the heart and detecting abnormal rhythmic conditions, and two or more capacitors for delivering bursts of electric current through the leads to the heart.
In many instances, each capacitor takes the form of a flat aluminum electrolytic capacitor. This type of capacitor generally includes a vertical stack of several flat D-shaped capacitor elements, or modules, with each module comprising at least one D-shaped paper separator sandwiched between D-shaped sheets of aluminum foil. The capacitor modules are electrically coupled together to provide a total capacitance and then housed in a D-shaped case made of aluminum or another metal compatible with the foil.
The aluminum case, which conforms closely to the shape of the vertical stack of D-shaped capacitor modules, has vertical sidewalls that are parallel to the vertical faces of the stack. The case also has D-shaped top and bottom portions that meet its vertical sidewalls to form approximate right-angle joints and corners along its top and bottom edges.
Two or more such capacitors are sometimes stacked on top of each other within the housing of an implantable device. When stacked, the walls of the D-shaped capacitors are aligned with each other, effectively forming a single vertical wall the combined height of the capacitors.
One problem with these types of flat capacitors and their stacked arrangement in implantable device housings is that the walls of the cases are incompatible with the rounded edges and corners of implantable device housings. Juxtaposing these vertical walls and right-angle corners against the rounded interior portions of the housings inevitably leaves gaps or voids between the cases and housings. These voids not only waste space, but ultimately force patients to endure implantable devices with larger housings than otherwise necessary.
Accordingly, there is a need for flat capacitors that better conform to the rounded portions of implantable medical-device housings.
SUMMARY
To address this and other needs, the inventors devised new capacitor structures, new capacitor shapes, and new capacitor assemblies to conform better with the housings of implantable medical devices. One exemplary capacitor includes three or more capacitive modules that are sized and stacked so that their edges on at least one side are staggered relative each other in one or two dimensions to define a curved profile that conforms generally with a rounded, interior surface of a capacitor case.
The inventors also devised new capacitor shapes, some of which incorporate one or more rounded corners. One exemplary capacitor includes a main portion and two peninsular portions extending from one side of the main portion, defining a “U.”Terminals extend from the end of one of the peninsular portions. One innovative use of this shape entails placing a battery or other component of an implantable medical device in the region between the two peninsular portions.
Additionally, the inventors devised new capacitor assemblies. One exemplary capacitor assembly includes two or more separate capacitors of different sizes. In some embodiments, one or more of these capacitors include a curved profile and/or are staggered relative each other. In other embodiments, two or more capacitors of the same size are staggered relative each other.
Other aspects of the invention include an implantable medical device, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, cardioverter-defibrillator, or congestive-heart-failure device, that has a housing with at least one rounded surface abutting the rounded portion of a capacitor. The capacitor includes a capacitive stack with a curved profile and/or includes a pair of peninsular portions spaced to receive a battery or other component. Other implantable devices include one or more of the new capacitive assemblies.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1931043 (1933-10-01), Taylor
patent: 3182238 (1965-05-01), Toder et al.
patent: 3643168 (1972-02-01), Manicki
patent: 3723926 (1973-03-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 3777570 (1973-12-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 3826143 (1974-07-01), Thomas et al.
patent: 3828227 (1974-08-01), Millard et al.
patent: 3859574 (1975-01-01), Brazier
patent: 3914666 (1975-10-01), Schmickl et al.
patent: 3938228 (1976-02-01), Kemkers et al.
patent: 3993508 (1976-11-01), Erlichman
patent: 4047790 (1977-09-01), Carino
patent: 4086148 (1978-04-01), Badia
patent: 4088108 (1978-05-01), Hager
patent: 4131935 (1978-12-01), Clement
patent: 4169003 (1979-09-01), Dangel et al.
patent: 4232099 (1980-11-01), Sullivan
patent: 4425412 (1984-01-01), Dittmann et al.
patent: 4571662 (1986-02-01), Conquest et al.
patent: 4614194 (1986-09-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4616655 (1986-10-01), Weinberg et al.
patent: 4659636 (1987-04-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 4745039 (1988-05-01), Yoshinaka
patent: 4782340 (1988-11-01), Czubatyj et al.
patent: 4843518 (1989-06-01), Okumura
patent: 5131388 (1992-07-01), Pless et al.
patent: 5142439 (1992-08-01), Huggett et al.
patent: 5173375 (1992-12-01), Cretzmeyer et al.
patent: 5175067 (1992-12-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 5195019 (1993-03-01), Hertz
patent: 5279029 (1994-01-01), Burns
patent: 5306581 (1994-04-01), Taylor et al.
patent: 5367437 (1994-11-01), Anderson
patent: 5414588 (1995-05-01), Barbee, Jr. et al.
patent: 5422200 (1995-06-01), Hope et al.
patent: 5428499 (1995-06-01), Szerlip et al.
patent: 5439760 (1995-08-01), Howard et al.
patent: 5471087 (1995-11-01), Buerger, Jr.
patent: 5493259 (1996-02-01), Blalock et al.
patent: 5493471 (1996-02-01), Walther et al.
patent: 5507966 (1996-04-01), Liu
patent: 5522851 (1996-06-01), Fayram
patent: 5527346 (1996-06-01), Kroll
patent: 5554178 (1996-09-01), Dahl et al.
patent: 5584890 (1996-12-01), MacFarlane et al.
patent: 5628801 (1997-05-01), MacFarlane et al.
patent: 5645586 (1997-07-01), Meltzer
patent: 5658319 (1997-08-01), Kroll
patent: 5660737 (1997-08-01), Elias et al.
patent: 5691079 (1997-11-01), Daugaard
patent: 5716729 (1998-02-01), Sunderland et al.
patent: 5754394 (1998-05-01), Evans et al.
patent: 5774261 (1998-06-01), Omori et al.
patent: 5776632 (1998-07-01), Honegger
patent: 5779699 (1998-07-01), Lipson
patent: 5779891 (1998-07-01), Andelman
patent: 5800724 (1998-09-01), Habeger et al.
patent: 5801917 (1998-09-01), Elias
patent: 5811206 (1998-09-01), Sunderland et al.
patent: 5814082 (1998-09-01), Fayram et al.
patent: 5855995 (1999-01-01), Haq et al.
patent: 5867363 (1999-02-01), Tsai et al.
patent: 5882362 (1999-03-01), Muffoletto et al.
patent: 5908151 (1999-06-01), Elias
patent: 5922215 (1999-07-01), Pless et al.
patent: 5926357 (1999-07-01), Elias et al.
patent: 5930109 (1999-07-01), Fishler
patent: 5963418 (1999-10-01), Greenwood, Jr. et al.
patent: 5968210 (1999-10-01), Strange et al.
patent: 5973906 (1999-10-01), Stevenson et al.
patent: 5983472 (1999-11-01), Fayram et al.
patent: 6002969 (1999-12-01), Machek et al.
patent: 6004692 (1999-12-01),
O'Phelan Michael J.
Schmidt Brian L.
Cardiac Pacemakers Inc.
Dinkins Anthony
Thomas Eric
LandOfFree
Implantable heart monitors having flat capacitors with... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Implantable heart monitors having flat capacitors with..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Implantable heart monitors having flat capacitors with... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3245109