Advanced Bionics Corporation

Pacesetter, Inc.

Edison Welding Institute, Inc.

Jian Xie

Michael Allen Faltys

Michael Steven Colvin

Edward Holman Overstreet

Kavous Sahabi

Paul Edward Denney

A method for hermetically sealing electronic circuitry within a housing of an implantable medical device is provided. The method comprises assembling the housing having an interior cavity, joining a feed-through assembly to the housing, and joining a back-fill member to the feed-through housing. The back fill member has an opening there through communicating with the interior cavity of the housing. The housing is back-filled with an inert gas through the opening in the back-fill member, and the interior cavity is hermetically sealed by closing the opening through the back-fill member with a sealing element. The sealing element and back-fill member are formed of different first and second materials, respectively.

Methods for manufacturing an implantable medical device

A system for delivering therapeutic agents to biological tissue includes a surgically implantable lead configured to be inserted into the biological tissue, the surgically implantable lead including a preformed cavity; and a modular capsule containing a therapeutic agent which includes dexamethasone base; the modular capsule being secured within the preformed cavity; the modular capsule releasing the therapeutic agent into the biological tissue. A method of delivering therapeutic agents to biological tissue includes obtaining a surgically implantable lead with a preformed cavity; obtaining a modular capsule containing a therapeutic agent comprising dexamethasone base and securing it within the preformed cavity; and inserting the surgically implantable lead into the biological tissue.

Modular drug delivery system for minimizing trauma during and after insertion of a cochlear lead

A method for delivering dexamethasone base (DXMb) via an implantable electrode includes coupling DXMb to the implantable electrode and inserting the implantable electrode into animal tissue, the DXMb eluting into the animal tissue. An implantable nerve stimulating device includes an elongated member having a distal end bearing at least one electrode; and DXMb coupled to the elongated member, the DXMb being eluted into tissue surrounding the elongated member.

Minimizing trauma during and after insertion of a cochlear lead

A cochlear implant for a cochlear stimulation system and method of assembling the implant comprising an implantable sealed housing comprising a metal feedthrough case and a metal bottom cover and containing cochlea stimulation circuitry, the feedthrough case comprising silicone enclosed feedthrough pins for connecting an electrical lead of a cochlear electrode to the stimulation circuitry, and a moisture absorbing material comprising calcium oxide secured within the housing and sufficient in quantity to absorb moisture released by the circuitry materials and leaking into the feedthrough case at leak rates of about 1&#xd7;10atm cc/s to maintain the cochlear implant within acceptable internal moisture limits for at least about 60 years.

Cochlear implant for an implantable cochlear stimulation system and method of assembly

An implantable medical device and methods of manufacture are provided for implantation in a body. The device includes a device housing having an interior cavity and electronic circuitry located in the interior cavity of the device housing. The electronic circuitry detects a physiologic condition of the body and delivers a therapy to the body. The device further includes a feed-through assembly having a feed-through housing that is joined to the device housing. The feed-through assembly includes conductors held in the feed-through housing and electronically connected to the electronic circuitry. A back-fill member is joined to the feed-through housing. The back-fill member has an opening there through communicating with the interior cavity of the device housing. A sealing element is hermetically secured in the opening through the back-fill member. The sealing element and back-fill member are formed of different first and second materials, respectively. The second material is generally harder than the first material. For example, the sealing element may constitute a titanium ball configured to be deformed when pressed into the opening in the back-fill member, where the first and second materials constitute titanium and a titanium alloy, respectively. The back-fill member is dimensioned relative to a support tool to permit the back-fill member to self-align during an initial sealing operation by shifting and/or tilting relative to a support tool.

Implantable medical device with improved back-fill member and methods of manufacture thereof

To overcome 1) the high levels of porosity due to coating material vaporization and entrapment into the weld, 2) spewing of molten base metal from the weld leaving holes and pits in the weld, and 3) humping effects when oblong beam configurations are used at higher weld speeds to weld coated materials, the present invention features an energy source ( ) with multiple separated energy beams ( ) (formed by using multiple separate beam sources or manipulation of a single beam ( ) into separated multiple energy beams ( ) using wedge mirror ( ) and parabolic focusing mirror ( )) that produces high quality (porosity free) lap welds in a weld stack ( ) of layered materials ( ) coated with coating material ( &prime;) with zero gap at interface ( ) during the welding process. An energy source ( ) with multiple, separated energy beams ( ) extends the beam keyhole and increases the time and conditions available for vapor/gas to diffuse less violently through the molten weld pool.

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Stevenson Ranch, CA, United States of America

Jian Xie