Medtronic, Inc.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Steven Joseph May

Hailiang Zhao

Jeffrey S Lund

Donald R Merritt

Craig L Van Kampen

Rajesh V Iyer

John Daniel Norton

Gordon Orvis Munns

Jeffrey J Clayton

Paul B Aamodt

Jay T Rassat

Wesley A Santa

Erik J Hovland

Seth M Humphrys

Michael J Nidelkoff

David L Butler

Edward S Grood

Steven D Hoffman

Frank R Noyes

Andrew J Ries

Craig L Schmidt

Christian S Nielsen

Mark D Breyen

Thomas P Miltich

Anthony W Rorvick

William K Wenger

Kenneth M Anderson

George Patras

Kurt J Casby

Glenn M Roline

Markus W Reiterer

William L Johnson

Jeffrey A Swanson

Angela Rodgers

Bernard F Heller

Michael J Walt

David J Andrews

Craig L VanKampen

Medical devices include a separate enclosure that houses a battery and electrically isolates the battery from external conditions such as any metal enclosures and ultimately isolates the battery from body fluids. Thus, the separate enclosure attaches to a housing of a medical device and provides for modularity of the battery which allows, for instance, different size batteries to be used with the same medical device design. The separate enclosure further prevents stimulation current from leaking back to the battery housing by providing the electrical isolation.

Implantable medical devices with electrically isolated batteries in a separate enclosure

In some examples, a battery assembly for an implantable medical device may include an electrode stack comprising a plurality of electrode plates. The plurality of electrode plates may comprise a first electrode plate including a first tab extending from the first electrode plate and a second electrode plate including a second tab extending from the second electrode plate, an alignment member extending through the first tab and the second tab, and a weld on a side of the electrode stack extending from the first tab to the second tab, wherein the weld penetrates into the alignment member.

Battery assembly for medical device

A mandrel for use in a battery assembly may include a positive mandrel portion and a negative mandrel portion. Each of the mandrel portions may include a connector element coupling region and an electrode coupling region. The connector element coupling region may be configured to be coupled to a connector element and the electrode coupling region may be configured to be coupled to an electrode.

Mandrel for electrode assemblies

A battery assembly for a medical device includes an elongate cathode, an elongate anode, an electrolyte, and an elongate housing assembly encapsulating the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte. The battery assembly also includes a first electrode exposed from and electrically insulated from the housing assembly. One of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the other of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the housing assembly. Respective axes of the cathode and the anode are substantially parallel to an axis of the housing assembly, and the cathode and anode each include a flat portion that face each other.

Elongate battery for implantable medical device

An encasement for an electrochemical cell and method of making such encasement is discloses. The design of the encasement results in an encasement having an area of high stress located away from the weld zone area of the encasement, where the cover and the case are welded together.

Battery encasement

Capacitor packaging according to the disclosure provides advantages particularly in connection to compact and/or complex-shaped medical devices (e.g., having limited interior volume defined by domed and/or irregular exterior surfaces). In addition, capacitors of the type shown and described herein can be utilized in relatively compact external defibrillators, such as automatic external defibrillators or clinician-grade, automated or manually-operated external defibrillators. In one form a plurality of capacitors having substantially flat exterior surfaces are placed in an abutting relationship between at least a pair of major surfaces and the major surfaces are spaced from an opposing or adjacent surface in a non-parallel configuration. In other forms, one or more exterior surface portions have a common and/or complex radius dimension (i.e., the surfaces are curved).

Diverse capacitor packaging for maximizing volumetric efficiency for medical devices

A battery assembly for a medical device includes an elongate cathode, an elongate anode, an electrolyte, and an elongate housing assembly encapsulating the cathode, the anode, and the electrolyte. The battery assembly also includes a first electrode that is exposed from and electrically insulated from the housing assembly. One of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the other of the anode and the cathode is electrically coupled to the housing assembly. One of the cathode and the anode includes a first portion and a second portion disposed in spaced relationship from the first portion. The other of the cathode and the anode is disposed between the first and second portions.

An implantable medical device includes an energy storage device with an internal component and an outer case that encloses the internal component. The outer case is electrically connected to the internal component. The energy storage device includes a first electrode that is electrically connected to the internal component. Furthermore, the device includes a control assembly with a control component and a control case that encloses the control component. The control case is coupled to and electrically connected to the outer case. The control component is electrically coupled to the first electrode and the outer case to be powered by the internal component of the energy storage device. The control component controls transmission of an electrical signal between the implantable medical device and biological tissue. Also, an outer surface of the outer case and the outer surface of the control case are exposed to the biological material.

Implantable medical device with exposed generator

Methods and structures are provided for electrically coupling a conductor and a conductive element containing a dissimilar material. A method for electrically coupling a first element containing a first conductive material to a conductor formed of a dissimilar second material includes cladding a second conductive element with the conductor. The second element contains a facilitator material that facilitates the melting of the dissimilar material. A third element containing a third conductive material that is metallurgically compatible with the facilitator material is cladded with a fourth element containing a fourth conductive material that is metallurgically compatible with the first conductive material to form a connector. The fourth element is welded to the first element and the second element is welded to the third element.

Methods and structures for electrically coupling a conductor and a conductive element comprising a dissimilar material

Implantable medical devices (IMDs) and their various components, particularly methods and apparatus for electrically isolating and supporting components of an IMD IPG, e.g., capacitors of a capacitor sub-assembly, thereof in volumetrically efficient ways. A capacitor sub-assembly comprising two or more capacitors stacked side-by-side such that the facing capacitor case major sides are separated by a reliable and simple to apply insulation layer of minimal thickness is disclosed for assembly with other components of an ICD IPG into an IPG housing. A shape conforming insulating spacer is formed of an insulating polymer to conform to the shape of a first capacitor case major side and the perimeter of that major side. The shape conforming insulating spacer is simply applied or adhered by adhesive layers, bands or patterns to one or both of the facing capacitor case major sides.

Electrically insulated component sub-assemblies of implantable medical devices

This invention provides improved prosthetic devices for the replacement of a ligament or a tendon. The tension borne by the prosthetic ligament or tendon can be readily increased or decreased without disturbing the attachment of the device to bone and without removal of the prosthetic ligament or tendon from the other components of the device.

Tensioning means for prosthetic devices

An abrasion resistant prosthetic ligament or tendon includes a strap-like element formed of a stable biocompatible material which is attached at opposite ends to a patient. Attached to the strap-like element are one or more protective layers having sacrificial areas which are positioned in areas where abrasion between the prosthetic ligament and the patient's bones is anticipated. The sacrificial areas can be substantially abraided before any significant loss of strenth occurs, because the sacrificial areas are non-load-bearing, and protect the strap-like element from abrasion.

Abrasion resistant prosthetic device

Growing community of inventors

Minnetonka, MN, United States of America

Steven Joseph May