Hermetically sealed cardiac pacer system and recharging system therefor
First Claim
1. A cardiac pacer system comprising:
- an integral metallic casing having an opening therein;
cover means for closing said opening having its periphery recessed within and abutting the interior of said opening to form an external receptacle in said casing;
sealing means closing the seam formed by the abutment of the periphery of said cover means and the interior of said opening for hermetically sealing said cover means to said casing;
biocompatible means disposed in said receptacle for isolating said sealed seam from the exterior of said casing;
means in said casing for producing pacing pulses;
lead means connected to said pulse producing means and passing through said cover means for conducting said pacing pulses out of said casing;
rechargeable power cell means in said casing for powering said pulse producing means; and
means for recharging said power cell means comprising;
a first inductance in said casing disposed adjacent a metallic wall of said casing for receiving electromagnetic energy through said wall; and
tuned circuit means disposed outside of said casing for transmitting electromagnetic energy through said metallic wall to said first inductance, said tuned circuit means comprising a second inductance and a capacitance tuned such that said metallic wall acts as a shorted turn to absorb energy between said first inductance and said circuit means and modify the transmitted energy as a function of the distance between said wall and said second inductance.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An hermetically-sealed cardiac pacemaker which may be operated on a single non-rechargeable cell or a magnetic-induction-rechargeable mercury cell that is hermetically sealed along with an outgas alleviating material in a separate container within an integral stainless steel outer case, which case also houses the system electronics. The integral case is formed with an opening in which a closure plate is disposed in a recessed position and sealed about its periphery to the interior of the opening to form a receptacle in the exterior of the casing. The receptacle is filled with a biocompatible material to isolate the seal from the exterior of the casing and the case acts along with the internal electronics during recharging as a charging current regulator system which maintains a substantially constant power transfer from the charging transmitter to the internal receiver despite variations in their proximate spacing.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A cardiac pacer system comprising:
-
an integral metallic casing having an opening therein; cover means for closing said opening having its periphery recessed within and abutting the interior of said opening to form an external receptacle in said casing; sealing means closing the seam formed by the abutment of the periphery of said cover means and the interior of said opening for hermetically sealing said cover means to said casing; biocompatible means disposed in said receptacle for isolating said sealed seam from the exterior of said casing; means in said casing for producing pacing pulses; lead means connected to said pulse producing means and passing through said cover means for conducting said pacing pulses out of said casing; rechargeable power cell means in said casing for powering said pulse producing means; and means for recharging said power cell means comprising; a first inductance in said casing disposed adjacent a metallic wall of said casing for receiving electromagnetic energy through said wall; and tuned circuit means disposed outside of said casing for transmitting electromagnetic energy through said metallic wall to said first inductance, said tuned circuit means comprising a second inductance and a capacitance tuned such that said metallic wall acts as a shorted turn to absorb energy between said first inductance and said circuit means and modify the transmitted energy as a function of the distance between said wall and said second inductance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A rechargeable cardiac pacer system comprising:
-
an implantable pacer unit having a metallic casing; electronic means in said casing for producing pacing pulses; means for conducting said pacing pulses out of said casing; rechargeable power cell means in said casing for powering said electronic means; means for recharging said cell means in response to externally-induced electrical energy, said recharging means comprising; a first inductance disposed adjacent a metallic wall of said casing; and tuned circuit means disposed outside of said casing adjacent said metallic wall for transmitting electrical energy through said metallic wall into said first inductance, said tuned circuit comprising a second inductance and a capacitance tuned such that said metallic wall acts as a shorted turn energy absorber between said first inductance and said circuit means to modify the energy transmitted as a function of the distance between said wall and said second inductance. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. A cardiac pacer comprising:
-
an outer casing; electronic means for producing pacing pulses contained in said casing; rechargeable power cell means in said casing for powering said electronic means; means for conducting said pacing pulses out of said casing getter means in said container means for absorbing gas given off by said cell; and means for recharging said power cell means comprising; an induction coil in said casing; a first diode connected in series with said induction coil and said power cell means; second, third and fourth diodes connected in series with each other with like polarity and in parallel with said first diode and said power cell means; and a fifth diode and a Zener diode connected with opposite polarity in series with each other and in parallel with said induction coil, the polarity of said Zener diode being the same as that of said second, third and fourth diodes. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 22)
-
-
16. An hermetically sealed cardiac pacer comprising:
-
an integral metallic casing having an opening therein; cover means for closing said opening having its periphery recessed within and juxtaposed to the interior periphery of said opening to form an external receptacle in said casing; sealing means closing the seam formed by the juxtaposed peripheries of said cover means and the interior of said opening for hermetically sealing said cover means to said casing; biocompatible means disposed in said receptacle for isolating said seal seam from the exterior of said housing means in said casing for producing pacing pulses; means passing through said cover means for conducting said pacing pulses out of said casing; rechargeable power cell means in said casing for powering said pulse producing means; and means for recharging said power cell means comprising; an induction coil in said casing disposed immediately adjacent a metallic wall of said casing; a first diode connected in series with said induction coil and said power cell means; second, third and fourth diodes connected in series with each other with like polarity and in parallel with said first diode and said power cell means; and a fifth diode and a Zener diode connected with opposite polarity in series with each other and in parallel with said induction coil, the polarity of said Zener diode being the same as that of said second, third and fourth diodes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A recharging system for implantable cardiac pacers or the like comprising:
-
an implantable pacer housing having a metallic wall; means disposed within said housing adjacent said metallic wall for picking up electrical energy induced therein from outside of said housing; rechargeable power cell means inside said housing and operatively connected to said pick-up means for receiving the electrical energy induced therein; and means for inducing electrical energy into said pick-up means through said metallic wall from outside of said housing, said inducing means comprising; tuned circuit means, disposed outside said housing for transmitting electrical energy through said metallic wall to said pick-up means, and comprising an inductance and a capacitance tuned such that said metallic wall acts as a shorted turn energy absorber between said pick-up means and said inducing means to modify the transmission level of said electrical energy as a function of the distance between said inductance and said wall. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
-
Specification