Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-13
2002-10-01
Schaetzle, Kennedy (Department: 3762)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
C361S302000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06459935
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to feed-thru capacitors of the type used in implantable medical devices such as heart pacemakers, defibrillators, and neurostimulators. More specifically, the instant invention relates to a multi-leaded feed-thru assembly combining a capacitive device and additional semi-conductive devices for use in implantable medical devices. Still further, the present invention relates to a multi-leaded feed-thru assembly which integrates both multi-element semiconductor devices and passive component devices, or multi-element combinations thereof, together with a discoidal capacitive filter device to provide filtration of electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Conventional feed-thru capacitive devices are known. In particular, ceramic capacitor feed-thru assemblies for use in implantable medical devices are known. With the continued miniaturization of electric devices and the desire for less invasive medical procedures, smaller multi-functional devices have become needed to increase the capabilities of implantable medical devices such as pacemakers while maintaining or even reducing their size and simultaneously increasing their reliability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,884, issued to Thompson et al. and incorporated fully herein by reference, discloses a filtering feed-thru assembly for implantable medical devices. The '884 assembly, however, provides poor EMI filter performance due to the use of chip capacitors. While useful for its purpose, the absolute requirement for reliability of these implantable devices mandates that the feed-thru filter must be capable of filtering (i.e., reflecting or absorbing and decoupling) substantially all EMI to prevent damage to the device's internal circuitry. Failure of the implantable device could result in the loss of function of the medical device and possibly the loss of the patient's life.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,551 and 5,333,095, issued to Stevenson et al. and incorporated fully herein by reference, also disclose feed-thru filtering capacitive assemblies for use in medical devices. Neither of these assemblies, however, provides for the attachment of semiconductor or passive component devices to such filtering feed-thru devices. This results in an increase in medical device size due to the requirement for downstream assembly of such additional components into the internal circuitry of such a device, in addition to the associated increase in costs. Additionally, neither the '551 nor the '095 assembly provides for suppression of transient voltages at their point of entry (i.e., the end of the electrically conductive leads external to the implantable device).
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a multi-leaded feed-thru assembly capable of reliably and thoroughly filtering EMI, as well as, suppressing transient voltages at their point of entry into the implantable medical device and integrating both multi-element semiconductor devices and passive component devices, or multi-element combinations thereof, together with a discoidal capacitive filter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses various of the foregoing limitations and drawbacks, and others, concerning the filtration of electromagnetic interference, the suppression of transient voltages, and the integration of additional electronic components into a single assembly for implantable medical devices resulting in the reduction in size and increase in reliability of the medical device. Therefore, the present invention provides a new multi-leaded filtering feed-thru assembly for filtering EMI, such as may be generated by cellular telephones, and suppressing transient voltages, such as may be generated by a defibrillator, as well as allowing for the integration of additional electronic components into the assembly.
It is a principle object of the subject invention to provide a filtering feed-thru capacitive device. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a filtering feed-thru capacitive assembly capable of inclusion in an implantable medical device.
Another more particular object of the present invention is to provide a filtering feed-thru assembly capable of filtering EMI as may be experienced by an implanted medical device. In such context, it is a still further object of the present invention to provide a filtering feed-thru assembly capable of suppressing transient voltages as may be experienced by an implanted medical device.
It is a further general object of the present invention to provide a filtering feed-thru assembly capable of integration with both multi-element semiconductor devices and passive component devices, or multi-element combinations thereof. In such context, it is a still further object to provide a filtering feed-thru assembly comprising a discoidal capacitive filter.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide a filtering feed-thru assembly for an implantable medical device, capable of filtering electromagnetic interference from any external signals entering the device, suppressing any transient voltages at their entry point into the device, and capable of integration with both multi-element semiconductor and passive component devices, or multi-element combinations thereof, together with a discoidal capacitive filter.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in, or will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from, the detailed description as follows. Also, it should be further appreciated that modifications and variations to the specifically illustrated and discussed features and materials hereof may be practiced in various embodiments and uses of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, by virtue of present reference thereto. Such variations may include, but are not limited to, substitutions of equivalent means, features, and/or materials for those shown or discussed, and the functional or positional reversal of various parts, features, or the like.
Still further, it is to be understood that different embodiments, as well as different presently preferred embodiments, of this invention, may include various combinations or configurations of presently disclosed features, elements, or their equivalents (including combinations of features or configurations thereof not expressly shown in the figures or stated in the detailed description).
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention the assembly comprises a feed-thru filter for a pacemaker or other implantable medical device. Such assembly may have a header, a support plate, with a flange around its outer perimeter for attachment in an opening in the housing of the implantable device. Such attachment can be achieved through any known means but is typically completed by welding or brazing and is preferably a hermetic sealing of the assembly within such opening in the device.
Within such header may be a single opening or set of openings through which extend multiple electrically conductive terminal pins. A first end of each of such pins remains external to the implantable medical device when such assembly is connected thereto. Preferably, the opening or set of openings in such header through which such pins pass is hermetically sealed. Within the opening or within each opening in a set of openings may be an electrically insulative support. Such supports, while aiding in sealing the opening or set of openings, may maintain the pins within the opening or set of openings and electrically insulate them from portions of the circuitry of such assembly and such medical device.
A discoidal capacitor may be bonded to such h
AVX Corporation
Dority & Manning
Droesch Kristen
Schaetzle Kennedy
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