Implantable medical device with rechargeable thin-film microbattery power source

• US 6,782,290 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2001
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/843,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/32-36, 607/60-61, 607/116, 604/891.1
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply

Abstract

The present invention is an implantable medical device comprising an outer housing, electronics within the outer housing, the electronics located in on a substrate circuit board, and a rechargeable thin-film microbattery within the outer housing. The rechargeable thin-film microbattery of the present invention is a solid-state battery that is devoid of liquids or other volatile materials from which the electronics must be protected. In one embodiment, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery has a straight first side that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board, and a curved second side that is adjacent to the outer housing. In one embodiment, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery lies in a plane that is parallel to the substrate circuit board containing the electronics. In one embodiment, the electronics are on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned adjacent a second face of the substrate circuit board, the second face being on the side of the substrate circuit board opposite to the first face. In one embodiment, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is deposited on the bottom face of the substrate circuit board. In one embodiment, the may be two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising an outer housing, electronics within the outer housing, the electronics located on a substrate circuit board, and a rechargeable thin-film microbattery within the outer housing, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery having a solid-state electrolyte, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is devoid of liquids or other volatile materials from which the electronics must be protected, wherein the electronics are on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned adjacent to and having a portion directly below a second face of the substrate circuit board, the second face being on the side of the substrate circuit board opposite the first face.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a back-up battery adjacent to the circuit board and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein a first group of the electronics is located on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein a first group of the electronics is located on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery lies in a plane that is parallel to the substrate circuit board containing the electronics.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein there are two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein there are two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the microbatteries are dynamically reconfigureable via programming of the device to provide a series connection, a parallel connection, or a combination of series and parallel connections.

9. An implantable medical device comprising an outer housing, electronics within the outer housing, the electronics located on a substrate circuit board, and a rechargeable thin-film microbattery within the outer housing, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery having a solid-state electrolyte, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is devoid of liquids or other volatile materials from which the electronics must be protected, wherein the substrate circuit board has a first face and a second face, and the electronics are located on the first face, and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is deposited on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, further comprising a back-up battery adjacent to the circuit board and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein a first group of the electronics is located on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein a first group of the electronics is located on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery lies in a plane that is parallel to the substrate circuit board containing the electronics.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein there are two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein there are two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the microbatteries are dynamically reconfigureable via programming of the device to provide a series connection, a parallel connection, or a combination of series and parallel connections.

17. An implantable medical device comprising an outer housing, the outer housing comprising at least one curved portion, electronics within the outer housing, the electronics located on a substrate circuit board, and a rechargeable thin-film microbattery within the outer housing, the rechargeable thin-film microbattery having a solid-state electrolyte, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is devoid of liquids or other volatile materials from which the electronics must be protected, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery has a substantially oval shape that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board, wherein the electronics are on a first face of the substrate circuit board, and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned underneath a second face of the substrate circuit board, the second face being on the side of the substrate circuit board opposite the first face.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery lies in a plane that is parallel to the substrate circuit board containing the electronics.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the device includes a back-up battery adjacent to the circuit board and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 19, wherein a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 19, wherein a first group of the electronics is located on the first face of the substrate circuit board, and a second group of the electronics is located on the second face of the substrate circuit board, and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is located underneath or over the back-up battery, and both batteries are located adjacent to the substrate circuit board.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the electronics are located on at least a first face of the substrate circuit board and the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned adjacent to the second face of the substrate circuit board and is adjacent to at least a portion of a back-up battery that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board.

23. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein there are two or more microbatteries that are stacked in series or in parallel.

24. The implantable medical device of claim 23, wherein the microbatteries are dynamically reconfigureable via programming of the device to provide a series connection, a parallel connection, or a combination of series and parallel connections.

25. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is adjacent to at least a portion of a back-up battery that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board.

26. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned underneath a back-up battery that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board.

27. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned adjacent the second face of the substrate circuit board and at least a portion of a back-up battery that is adjacent to the substrate circuit board.

28. The implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the rechargeable thin-film microbattery is positioned underneath a second group of electronics located on the second face of the substrate circuit board.