RADIO FREQUENCY ANTENNA IN A HEADER OF AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20110134013A1
• Filed: 02/10/2011
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey A Von Arx, Prashant Rawat, Timothy Hillukka
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey A Von Arx, Prashant Rawat, Timothy Hillukka
• Inventors: Rawat, Prashant, Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Hillukka, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/873
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0421 with a shorting wall or a shorting pin at one end of the element H01Q9/0414 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making

Abstract

An apparatus and method for enabling far-field radio frequency communications with an implantable medical device in which an antenna structure is disposed within a header assembly of the device. The antenna structure, in various embodiments, includes a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, an inverted F antenna, a patch antenna and a slot antenna.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a header assembly for an implantable medical device, the header assembly comprising;

an antenna configured to be coupled to an electronic circuit within a housing of the implantable medical device, the electronic circuit configured for radio frequency communication using the antenna; and

a dielectric material configured to isolate the antenna from tissue of a patient when the header assembly is implanted in the patient, and to dispose at least a portion of the antenna within the dielectric material at a specified distance from a surface of the header assembly to load the antenna with a specified dielectric constant.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises an inverted-F configuration including a conductor located parallel to the surface of the header assembly at a specified distance from the surface of the header assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the conductor comprises a planar conductor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a long axis of the antenna is located parallel to the surface of the header assembly at a specified distance from the surface of the header assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material includes a trench configured to locate at least a portion of the antenna at a specified depth from the surface of the header assembly when the antenna is positioned within the trench.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising a silicone fill material configured to fill the trench when the antenna is positioned within the trench, the fill material configured to retain the antenna and isolate the antenna from tissue of the patient.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a conductor configured to be coupled to the electronic circuit, the conductor configured to pass through a feedthrough assembly located along a housing of an implantable medical device, and the electronic circuit located within the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a wire including a platinum-iridium alloy.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna includes an oxide coating.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a conductor located on a ceramic substrate within the dielectric material of the header assembly.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material comprises one or more of polytetrafluoroethylene, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyetheretherketone, or a thermoplastic polyurethane.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is configured to provide a first resonance corresponding to a first desired operating frequency range for radio frequency communication, and a second resonance corresponding to a different second desired operating frequency range, for radio frequency communication using one or more of the first range or the second range.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising the implantable medical device, including:

the housing including the electronic circuit configured for radio frequency communication;

the header assembly, coupled to the housing; and

the antenna.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising an implantable lead assembly;

and

wherein the header is configured to provide one or more electrical interconnections between one or more conductors included as a portion of the implantable lead and the electronic circuit.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a header assembly for an implantable medical device, the header assembly comprising;

an antenna configured to be coupled to an electronic circuit within a housing of the implantable medical device, the electronic circuit configured for radio frequency communication using the antenna; and

a dielectric material configured to isolate the antenna from tissue of a patient when the header assembly is implanted in the patient, and configured to dispose at least a portion of the antenna within the dielectric material at a specified distance from a surface of the header assembly to load the antenna with a specified dielectric constant, the dielectric material comprising a trench configured to locate at least a portion of the antenna at a specified depth from the surface of the header assembly when the antenna is positioned within the trench; and

a silicone fill material configured to fill the trench when the antenna is positioned within the trench, the fill material configured to retain the antenna and isolate the antenna from tissue of the patient.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising the implantable medical device, including:

the housing including the electronic circuit configured for radio frequency communication;

the header assembly, coupled to the housing; and

the antenna.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an implantable lead assembly;

and

wherein the header is configured to provide one or more electrical interconnections between one or more conductors included as a portion of the implantable lead and the electronic circuit.

18. A method, comprising:

forming an antenna configured to be coupled to an electronic circuit within a housing of the implantable medical device, the electronic circuit configured for radio frequency communication using the antenna; and

locating the antenna within a dielectric material to provide a header assembly configured to isolate the antenna from tissue of a patient when the header assembly is implanted in the patient, and configured to dispose at least a portion of the antenna within the dielectric material at a specified distance from a surface of the header assembly to load the antenna with a specified dielectric constant.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising locating at least a portion of the antenna in a trench included in the dielectric material, the trench configured to locate the antenna at a specified depth from the surface of the header assembly when the antenna is positioned within the trench.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising filling the trench with a silicone fill material when the antenna is positioned within the trench, the fill material configured to retain the antenna and isolate the antenna from tissue of the patient.