MEDICAL IMPLANTABLE DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONNECTING AN ANTENNA TO THE SAME

• US 20090163979A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Hjelm, Stefan, Lim, Wisit, Snitting, Tomas, Sahabi, Kavous
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3754 Feedthroughs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting

Abstract

In a medical implantable device having a hermetically sealed, radio shielded encapsulations containing an RF circuit therein and having an antenna located outside of the encapsulation, and in a method for connecting the RF circuit to the antenna, at least one hermetical feedthrough connection is provided in the form of at least one conductor passing through a wall portion of the encapsulation in a liquid-tight and gas-tight manner, with the feedthrough being electrically insulated from the encapsulation. At least one connector pin is provided on an RF circuit board, which is resiliently mounted on the RF circuit board. The RF circuit is mounted in the encapsulation so as to cause the connector pin to resiliently engage the conductor and to electrically connect the conductor with the RF circuit board.

Claims

1. Medical implantable device comprising a hermetically sealed, radio shielded encapsulation, which is adapted to be implanted inside living tissue, and a RF-circuit board positioned inside the encapsulation for communication with a RF-device outside the tissue, the RF-circuit board being connectible to an antenna located outside of the encapsulation, via at least one hermetical feed through in form of at least one conductor passed through a wall portion of the encapsulation in a liquid and gas tight manner and electrically insulated from the encapsulation, the RF-circuit board comprising at least one connector pin which is resilient or resiliently mounted on the RF-circuit board, to cause the connector pin, in a mounted state of the RF-circuit board in the encapsulation, to resiliently engage the conductor and electrically connects the conductor with the RF-circuit board.

2. Medical implantable device according to claim 1, comprising an anvil member which is located on the opposite side of the conductor in relation to the connector pin.

3. Medical implantable device according to claim 2, wherein the anvil member is a resilient or resilient mounted connector pin.

4. Medical implantable device according to claim 1 wherein each connector pin is directed essentially in parallel to the conductor.

5. Medical implantable device according to claim 4, comprising two or more connector pins.

6. Medical implantable device according to claim 1 comprising a shielding sleeve that surrounds the conductor and protrudes essentially the same distance as the conductor or longer.

7. Medical implantable device according to claim 6, wherein the shielding sleeve is connected to the RF-circuit board by way of at least one resilient or resiliently mounted connector pin.

8. Method for connecting a RF-circuit inside a hermetically sealed, radio shielded encapsulation, to an antenna located outside the encapsulation, comprising the steps of;

providing at least one hermetical feed through connection in form of at least one conductor passed through a wall portion of the encapsulation in a liquid and gas tight manner and electrically insulated from the encapsulation;

providing at least one connector pin on the RF-circuit board, which is resiliently mounted on the RF-circuit board; and

mounting the RF-circuit in the encapsulation by moving it towards the feed through connection in a direction straining the connector pin towards the conductor such that the connector pin resiliently engages the conductor.

9. Method according to claim 8, comprising straining the connector pin in a radial direction in relation to the conductor.