Antenna for implantable medical devices formed on extension of RF circuit substrate and method for forming the same

• US 9,399,143 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Joyce K., Denzene, Quentin Scott, Barror, Michael William
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): D ABREU, MICHAEL JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US12/340,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20100114245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,776 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An antenna for an implantable medical device (IMD) is provided that is formed on the same substrate as the telemetry circuitry for the IMD. The telemetry circuitry is formed on a portion of the substrate within the interior of a housing for the IMD, while at least one antenna is formed on an exterior portion of the substrate on the exterior of the housing to allow for far field telemetry. At least one electrical interconnect is formed on the substrate for connecting the antenna to the telemetry circuitry, where the electrical interconnect may comprise a controlled impedance line to minimize loss. A conformally-shaped hermetic cover, such as a ceramic material, may be formed in a desired shape around the exterior portion of the substrate and antenna and cofired together to form a monolithic structure encasing the antenna and exterior portion of the substrate.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device (“

IMD”

), comprising;

a housing;

a monolithic substrate including an interior portion extending within the housing and an exterior portion extending outside of the housing;

telemetry circuitry connected to the interior portion of the substrate; and

an antenna formed on the exterior portion of the substrate.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a hermetic covering positioned around the exterior portion of the substrate covering the antenna.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the hermetic covering comprises a ceramic material.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the hermetic covering comprises a cofired ceramic material conformally shaped based on a desired implantation location for the IMD.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the hermetic covering comprises a cofired ceramic material shaped to provide additional support for the exterior portion of the substrate.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising at least one electrical interconnect formed on the substrate and extending from the exterior portion of the housing to the interior portion for connecting the antenna to the telemetry circuitry.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the at least one electrical interconnect is a controlled impedance line.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the substrate is a circuit board and the electrical interconnect is printed wiring formed on the circuit board.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the exterior portion of the substrate extends outside of the housing a sufficient distance to allow the antenna to be positioned a sufficient distance from the housing to avoid signal interference from the housing.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is positioned at an end portion of the exterior portion of the substrate so that the antenna can transmit and receive signals in multiple directions from the substrate.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional antenna formed on the exterior portion of the substrate.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 11, further comprising a switching device operatively connected to each of the antennas formed on the exterior portion of the substrate for allowing desired ones of the antennas to be selected for use in the antenna.

13. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

a monolithic substrate having an exterior portion and an interior portion, wherein the interior portion is disposed within the housing and the exterior portion is disposed external to the housing;

an antenna coupled to the exterior portion of the monolithic substrate; and

telemetry circuitry coupled to the interior portion of the monolithic substrate.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the exterior portion of the monolithic substrate is hermetically coupled at a sidewall of the housing.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein an electrical interconnect is embedded within the monolithic substrate to electrically couple the antenna to the telemetry circuitry.