Medtronic, Inc.

Brian S Child

David A Ruben

Mark E Henschel

Lary R Larson

John E Nicholson

David B Engmark

Patrick F Malone

Scott B Sleeper

David Reinker

Samuel F Haq

James E Volmering

Joan A O'Gara

Roy L Inman

David Brian Hall

An implantable medical device that includes an enclosure, an electrical module for the desired stimulation, sensing and communications functions, a power source, an air-core antenna, and supporting structures therefore. The antenna includes a quarter-elliptical shape that maximizes the antenna area to facilitate transmission of electromagnetic waves through the enclosure. A support structure is provided so that the antenna, the module and the battery self-align with each other and the enclosure. The support structure contains contacts to facilitate electrical connection of the antenna to the module and positions the module so that contacts thereon are in close proximity in plan and elevation to external electrical feed-throughs in the housing and the antenna contacts on the support structure. The support structure positions the antenna between the module and the housing, separated therefrom by a predetermined minimum distance to facilitate efficient coupling of electromagnetic waves to and/or from the antenna.

Implantable medical device with air core antenna assembly

An accelerometer device which can be mounted on a substrate, e.g., a circuit board enclosed in a medical device, includes an accelerometer sensing element having an axis of sensitivity and further includes first and second multilayer end caps. The substrate generally defines a mounting plane. The accelerometer sensing element includes a device body having a longitudinal axis extending between generally parallel first and second ends thereof and further includes a principal surface extending between the first and second ends of the device body parallel to the longitudinal axis. The axis of sensitivity of the sensing element is generally perpendicular to a plane defined by the principal surface. Further, the accelerometer sensing element includes conductive pad regions on each of the first and second ends of the device body. Each of the first and second multilayer end caps includes conductive elements on one side thereof and further includes conductive traces electrically connected to the conductive elements thereof. Each of the conductive traces of the first and second multilayer end caps terminate at a surface mount contact region along at least one edge thereof. The first and second multilayer end caps are attached to the first and second ends of the device body such that, when the accelerometer device is mounted on a substrate, the axis of sensitivity of the accelerometer sensing element is perpendicular to the mounting plane defined thereby.

Accelerometer for implantable medical device

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Phoenix, AZ, United States of America

Brian S Child