IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITHOUT ANTENNA FEEDTHROUGH

• US 20120287004A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: JOSHI, Himanshu, FULLER, Darrell N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/702
• 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 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49993 Filling of opening

Abstract

An implantable medical device includes a case having a conductive housing defining an opening. A dielectric material is coupled to the conductive housing to hermetically seal the opening. A header block is coupled to the case over the dielectric material. An antenna is within the case under the dielectric material and there is no antenna feedthrough extending through the case into the header block.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

a case including a conductive housing defining an opening;

a dielectric material coupled to the conductive housing to hermetically seal the opening;

a header block coupled to the case over the dielectric material; and

an antenna within the case and under the dielectric material, wherein there is no antenna feedthrough extending through the case into the header block.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the case substantially blocks external radio frequency signals from being received by the antenna unless the external radio frequency signals are in line of site of the antenna through the opening in the case.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the opening in the case substantially attenuates radio frequency signals below a frequency.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the frequency is between approximately 10 MHz and 100 MHz.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the frequency is determined, at least in part, by a size of the opening.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein at least one dimension of the opening is larger than a corresponding dimension of a radiating element of the antenna.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an insulating layer between the antenna and an interior of the conductive housing.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is not electrically connected to the conductive housing.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a slot-type antenna including a conductive layer on a surface of a circuit board, the conductive layer defining a radiating slot.

10. An implantable medical device comprising:

a case including a conductive housing defining an opening;

a dielectric material coupled to the conductive housing to hermetically seal the opening;

an antenna within the case and under the dielectric material, the antenna not electrically connected to the conductive housing;

the case substantially blocking external radio frequency signals from being received by the antenna unless the external radio frequency signals are in line of site of the antenna through the opening in the case.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, further comprising a header block coupled to the case over the dielectric material.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 11, wherein there is no high pass filter antenna feedthrough extending through the case into the header block.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 11, wherein there is no antenna feedthrough extending through the case into the header block.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein at least one dimension of the opening is larger than a corresponding dimension of the radiating slot.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the opening in the case substantially attenuates radio frequency signals below a frequency.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the frequency is between approximately 10 MHz and 100 MHz.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the frequency is determined, at least in part, by a size of the opening.

18. A method comprising:

positioning an antenna in a portion of a case of an implantable medical device,

the case including a conductive housing that defines an opening, the antenna not electrically connected to the conductive housing;

coupling a dielectric material to the conductive housing to hermetically seal the opening,

wherein the antenna is positioned under the dielectric material inside the case;

hermetically sealing the case; and

coupling a header block to the case over the dielectric material, wherein there is no antenna feedthrough extending through the case into the header block.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the opening in the case substantially attenuates radio frequency signals below a frequency.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the case substantially blocks external radio frequency signals from being received by the antenna unless the external radio frequency signals are in line of site of the antenna through the opening in the case.