Implantable shielded medical device

• US 6,980,865 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2002
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biophan Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nanoset LLC
• Inventors: Helfer, Jeffrey L., Wang, Xingwu, Greenwald, Howard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US10/313,847
• Time in Patent Office: 1,116 Days
• Field of Search: 607/116, 607/121, 607/122, 128/901, 174/36, 174/113.R, 174/102.SC, 174/102.P, 174/35.MS, 428/217, 428/218, 428/323, 428/402, 361/816, 361/818, 333/12
• US Class Current: 607/121
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/16 Screening or neutralising undesirable influences from or using, atmospheric or terrestrial radiation or fields using atmospheric electricity or earth currents H05F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/1805 Protections not provided for in groups H01B7/182 - H01B7/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 1/0063 in a non-magnetic matrix, e.g. granular solids granular films H01F10/007

Abstract

An implantable device that contains a power source, a device for producing electrical signals, and a conductor assembly for communicating the electrical signals to biological matter. The conductor assembly contains of a conductor that is capable of being flexed at least about 15 degrees and that has a resistivity at 20 degrees Centigrade of from about 1 to about 100 micro ohm-centimeters. The conductor assembly also contains a magnetic shield located above the flexible conductor; the magnetic shield contains an antithrombogenic composition. The magnetic shield also contains a magnetic shielding material that has a magnetic shielding factor of at least about 0.5.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprised of a power source, means for generating electrical signals, means for communicating said electrical signals with biological matter in a biological organism, and a conductor assembly electrically connected to said biological matter, wherein:

(a) said conductor assembly is comprised of a conductor that is capable of being flexed at least about 15 degrees and that has a resistivity at 20 degrees Centigrade of from about 1 to about 100 micro ohm-centimeters,

(b) said conductor assembly is comprised of a magnetic shield disposed above said flexible conductor, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of an antithrombogenic composition, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of a layer of magnetic shielding material, and wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material, when exposed to a magnetic field with an intensity of at least about 0.5 Teslas, has a magnetic shielding factor of at least about 0.5; and

(c) said conductor assembly has a heat shielding factor of at least about 0.2 when tested in accordance with A.S.T.M. standard test Standard Test F-2182-02.

2. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable device is used to monitor and maintain at least one physiologic function.

3. The implantable device as recited in claim 2, wherein said device is comprised of means for generating electrical pulses for stimulating tissue in a biological organism electrically connected to said power source and a conductor assembly for transmitting said electrical pulses to said tissue.

4. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said conductor has a bend radius of less than 2 centimeters.

5. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material is comprised of at least about 40 weight percent of nanomagnetic material with a mass density of at least about 0.01 grams per cubic centimeter, a saturation magnetization of from about 1 to about 36,000 Gauss, a coercive force of from about 0.01 to about 5,000 Oersteds, and relative magnetic permeability of from about 1 to about 500,000, and an average particle size of less than about 100 nanometers.

6. The implantable device as recited in claim 5, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of from about 1 to about 99 weight percent of a material with an electrical resistivity of from about 1 microohm-centimeter to about 1×

10²⁵ microohm centimeters, and wherein said conductor assembly is in the form of a cylinder.

7. The implantable device as recited in claim 6, wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material is comprised of at least 50 weight percent of said nanomagnetic material.

8. The implantable device as recited in claim 6, wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material is comprised of from about 40 to about 60 weight percent of a material comprised of particles with an elongated shape and an aspect ratio of at least about 10.

9. The implantable device as recited in claim 6, wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material is comprised of from about 40 to about 60 weight percent of a material comprised of a multiplicity of aligned fibers.

10. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is contiguous with said conductor.

11. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of an exterior surface with a Moh'"'"'s hardness of from about 5 to about 15.

12. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein magnetic shield is comprised of sheath disposed around said layer of magnetic shielding material.

13. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of a material with a dielectric constant of from about 1.1 to about 10.

14. The implantable deivce as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of diamond-like carbon.

15. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield has a thickness of from about 100 nanometers to about 10 microns.

16. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said layer of magnetic shielding material, when exposed to a magnetic field with an intensity of at lest about 0.5 Tesla, has a magnetic shielding factor of at least about 0.9.

17. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of an exterior surface that is hydrophobic.

18. The implantable device as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield is comprised of an exterior surface that is hydrophilic.