Greatbatch Ltd.

Other

Kenneth B Talamine

Keith W Seitz

Gary Freitag

Anthony C Perez

Laurie O'Connor

Brian D Panzer

Lou Serpe

Jordan A Hartwig

Barry C Muffoletto

Jason T Hahl

Xiangyang Steve Dai

Tina L Urso

Kenneth L Grubb

Gregory A Voss

Steven Schmidt

Michael Streun

Wayne Glidden

Laurie M O'CONNOR

In various examples, a component is for use in an implantable medical device. The component includes a pin including a first material attached to a lead including a second material different from the first material of the pin. At least a portion of the lead includes a channel in which at least a portion of the pin sits, the channel including a channel opening defined at least partially by opposing first and second channel sides extending a channel length. At least a first joint is formed along at least a portion of the first channel side. The first joint includes the second material of the lead deformed to at least partially close the channel opening to retain the pin within the channel to attach the lead to the pin. In some examples, the first material includes molybdenum and the second material includes aluminum.

Laser brazed component and method therefor

A new weld configuration is used to obtain a robust and consistent resistance weld between the tabs of an anode current collector and the casing of an electrochemical cell. This is done by adding a resistive transferable electrode tip between at least one of the welding electrodes, preferably the movable welding electrode, and the stacked parts that are being joined together. The purpose of the transferable electrode tip is to generate a sufficient amount of heat during the welding process so that the stacked parts are joined together without adding any product functionality. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transferrable electrode tip is a stainless-steel ball, the stacked anode current collector tabs are of nickel, and the cell casing is of stainless-steel.

Transferable electrode tip for resistance welding an anode tab to the casing of an electrochemical cell

A nickel termination-pad that has been clad-bonded to a titanium base layer electrically contacted to a casing to thereby serve as a surface for a device manufacturer to connect electronic circuit to the capacitor is described. The clad connection of the nickel termination-pad to the titanium base layer is both robust and provides good electrical conductivity between the dissimilar metals.

Titanium clad nickel termination-pad welded to a titanium tab for a capacitor

An electrochemical cell comprising an electrode assembly formed from an elongate anode that is folded into a serpentine configuration with a plurality of cathode plates interleaved between the folds is described. To make a robust and secure connection of the respective cathode tabs to a cathode terminal, the tabs are folded into an overlapping and stacked relationship. The proximal end of a metal strip is wrapped around the stacked cathode tabs and then a laser is used to weld through all layers of the metal strip and each of the bound cathode tabs. The laser welds are visible from the opposite side of the thusly formed strip-shaped hoop surrounding the stacked cathode tabs from which the laser beam first contacted the assembly. This provides the welding engineer with a visual indication that the welded connection of the metal strip-shaped hoop to the stacked cathode tabs is robust and structurally sound.

Electrochemical cell having a serpentine anode with a plurality of interleaved cathode plates having extending tabs stacked and connected to each other by a welded surrounding metal hoop

A closure system for the electrolyte fill port of an electrochemical cell is described. A cell header has an electrolyte fill port comprising an upper opening sidewall extending from a header upper surface to an intermediate ledge located part-way through the header thickness. The ledge extends from a lower edge of the upper opening sidewall to an upper edge of a lower opening sidewall, the lower opening sidewall extending to the header lower surface. With respect to an axis of the electrolyte fill port, the upper opening sidewall has a first radius rand the lower opening sidewall has a second radius rat the ledge, the lower opening sidewall extending downwardly and inwardly along the axis from the second radius rto a third radius rat the header lower surface. The second radius rat the ledge is greater than the third radius rat the header lower surface. A closure system for an electrolyte fill port comprises a lower closure member secured to the lower opening sidewall by a lower weld; and an upper closure member secured to the upper opening sidewall by an upper weld. Importantly, the lower opening sidewall is provided with rifling.

Closure system for the electrolyte fill port of an electrochemical cell

A current collector in the form of a conductive substrate subjected to a special chemical etch to provide the current collector having a multi-thickness structure, is described. The multiple-thickness current collector structure provides an electrochemical cell with increased charge capacity per volume while enabling a robust weld connection thereto. The current collector has a frame and comprises within an inner perimeter of the frame, first strand structures that intersect second strand structures to provide a plurality of openings or interstices bordered by the strands. At least one tab portion having a thicker distal portion spaced from a thinner proximal tab portion that extends from an outer perimeter of the frame.

Multi-thickness current collector

A capacitor is described. The capacitor includes a casing of first and second casing members secured to each other to provide an enclosure, a feedthrough electrically insulated from the casing and extending there from through a glass-to-metal seal, first and second anodes electrically connected to each other within the casing, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The cathode is of a cathode active material deposited on planar faces of the first and second casing members. There is also a cathode current collector disposed intermediate the first and second anodes. The cathode current collector supports cathode active material on both of its major faces and includes a tab that is directly electrically connected to a ferrule of the glass-to-metal seal. That way, the casing is the negative terminal for the cathode and a feedthrough pin extending through the glass-to-metal seal is the positive terminal for the anode of the capacitor.

Electrically connecting multiple cathodes in a case negative multi-anode capacitor

Structures for serially connecting at least two capacitors together are described. Serially connecting capacitors together provides device manufactures, such as those selling implantable medical devices, with broad flexibility in terms of both how many capacitors are incorporated in the device and what configuration the capacitor assembly will assume.

Growing community of inventors

Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Kenneth B Talamine