Implantable medical devices having hollow sleeve cofire ceramic structures and methods of fabricating the same

• US 9,387,332 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Zhao, Yanzhu, Wine, Nicholas C., Yamamoto, Joyce K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gedeon, Brian T
• Application Number:
  US14/062,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20150097734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/04 Constructional details of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/12 Supports; Mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/27 Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies H01Q1/08, H01Q1/12, H01Q1/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/362 for broadside radiating helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) antenna and methods of fabricating the same are provided. An IMD can include a ceramic structure having at least one wall defining a hollow cavity. The ceramic structure can include a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the first and second ends being open to provide access to the hollow cavity. The IMD also includes an antenna cofire-integrated into the at least one wall of the ceramic structure and a housing adjoined to the ceramic structure.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device (IMD) comprising:

a ceramic structure having at least one wall defining a hollow cavity, wherein the ceramic structure includes a first end and a second end distal from the first end, the first and second ends being open to provide access to the hollow cavity;

an antenna cofire-integrated into the at least one wall of the ceramic structure; and

a housing adjoined to the ceramic structure.

2. The IMD of claim 1, further comprising a component located within the hollow cavity of the ceramic structure.

3. The IMD of claim 2, wherein the component comprises at least one of a component of an integrated circuit or a component of a passive network.

4. The IMD of claim 2, wherein the component is configured to perform one or more electrical functions.

5. The IMD of claim 1, further comprising a component cofire-integrated into the wall of the ceramic structure.

6. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the ceramic structure includes a plurality of dielectric layers and the antenna includes a plurality of conductive traces each of which is on a different one of the dielectric layers, further wherein each of the dielectric layers including a conductive trace is separated by one or more dielectric layers.

7. The IMD of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of conductive traces of the antenna are interconnected with a plurality of conductive vias that extend through the one or more dielectric layers separating the conductive traces.

8. The IMD of claim 6, further comprising at least one pair of capacitive interconnections that interconnect conductive traces on different ones of the dielectric layers.

9. The IMD of claim 8, wherein the capacitive interconnections are cofire-integrated into the ceramic structure.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of conductive traces are interconnected to form an antenna that is at least one of substantially serpentine-shaped, substantially helical-shaped, substantially spiral-shaped, substantially fractal-shaped or meandering.

11. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to communicate a radio frequency signal.

12. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the ceramic structure comprises a high temperature cofire ceramic material having a sintering temperature greater than about 1000°

Celsius.

13. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the ceramic structure comprises material or a mixture composed of at least one of platinum, palladium, platinum, iridium, silver-palladium, platinum-iridium, niobium or tantalum.

14. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first housing component adjoined to the first end of the ceramic structure and a second housing component adjoined to the second end of the ceramic structure.

15. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the housing is adjoined to the ceramic structure and the first and second ends to form a hermetic seal.

16. The IMD of claim 1, wherein the IMD further comprises:

a power source within the housing; and

electrical circuitry within the housing.

17. The IMD of claim 16, wherein the IMD comprises at least one of an implantable therapy lead, an implantable sensor, an implantable monitor, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, an implantable neurostimulator, an implantable physiological monitor or an implantable pulse generator.

18. The IMD of claim 17, further comprising a component cofire-integrated into the wall of the ceramic structure and electrically coupled to the electrical circuitry within the housing.

19. The IMD of claim 18, wherein the component comprises an electrode.

20. The IMD of claim 1, further comprising a metal pad cofire-integrated into an external surface of the ceramic structure to provide an electrical connection between the cofire-integrated antenna and one or more components of the IMD.

21. The IMD of claim 1, further comprising a second antenna cofire-integrated into the at least one wall of the ceramic structure to provide for antenna diversity.