Medtronic, Inc.

William D Wolf

Lynn M Seifried

Mary A Fraley

Andrew J Ries

John E Kast

William John Taylor

Craig L Wiklund

James Strom

Ronald F Hoch

Joseph F Lessar

Patrick F Malone

Samuel F Haq

James E Volmering

David B Engmark

John E Nicholson

Lea A Nygren

Kevin K Tidemand

Jeremy W Burdon

Dale W Schak

Methods and apparatuses are provided for an electrical device that employs a feedthrough including a hermetic seal that seals an interior region of the electrical device. The electrical device includes an electrical contact disposed within the interior region of the electrical device, and a wire terminal that includes an encircled portion that is encircled by the feedthrough, and a first end that electrically connects with said electrical contact. When the electrical device is constructed, the first end of the wire terminal is coated with a conductive metal that is more resistant to oxidation than the wire terminal. The first end of the wire terminal is secured to the electrical contact using a mechanical device such as a crimping connector or a spring connector.

Feedthrough apparatus with noble metal-coated leads

An implantable medical device has one or more feedthrough/electrode assemblies positioned around an outer periphery of the device. Each of the assemblies includes a ferrule and a feedthrough conductor that extends longitudinally through the ferrule. Each of the assemblies also includes a cover having an insulative body and an electrical contact that is mounted to the plastic insulator. The plastic insulator is positioned over an inner end of the assembly such that the contact is operatively coupled to the feedthrough conductor of the assembly. The cover can be oriented so as to be freely accessible for purposes of electrically connecting circuitry within the implantable medical device to the contact, and in turn, the feedthrough conductor. In turn, the wiring used in connecting the circuitry and the contact can be routed within the implantable medical device as desired.

Electrical contact for a feedthrough/electrode assembly

A brazing fixture for fabricating a feed-through assembly during a brazing process and a method for forming a brazing fixture are provided. The brazing fixture includes a holding tray and a nesting plate removably mounted on the holding tray. The nesting plate has a surface with at least one nest disposed at the surface. The nest has a first well disposed at the surface of the nesting plate, the first well having first walls. A second well is disposed adjacent to and in concentric relationship with the first well, the second well having second walls. An orifice is disposed adjacent to the second well, the orifice having third walls. A release coating overlies the first walls of the first well and is absent from the third walls of the orifice.

Brazing fixtures and methods for fabricating brazing fixtures used for making feed-through assemblies

A feed-through assembly for an IMD and a method for fabricating the same are provided. The feed-through assembly has a ferrule having a first aperture disposed therethrough. An insulating member is disposed at least partially within the first aperture. The insulating member has a second aperture, an inside surface and an outside surface. A metallization region overlies at least a portion of the inside surface and at least a portion of the outside surface of the insulating member. The metallization region is formed of a first layer of titanium and a second layer of niobium. A portion of a terminal pin of platinum is disposed through the second aperture. A first brazing seal is disposed between the insulating member and the ferrule and a second brazing seal is disposed between the insulating member and the terminal pin. The first and second brazing seals are formed of gold.

Feed-through assemblies having terminal pins comprising platinum and methods for fabricating same

A capacitive filtered feedthrough assembly is formed in a solid state manner to employ highly miniaturized conductive paths each filtered by a discoid capacitive filter embedded in a capacitive filter array. A non-conductive, co-fired metal-ceramic substrate is formed from multiple layers that supports one or a plurality of substrate conductive paths and it is brazed to a conductive ferrule, adapted to be welded to a case, using a conductive, corrosion resistant braze material. The metal-ceramic substrate is attached to an internally disposed capacitive filter array that encloses one or a plurality of capacitive filter capacitor active electrodes each coupled to a filter array conductive path and at least one capacitor ground electrode. Each capacitive filter array conductive path is joined with a metal-ceramic conductive path to form a feedthrough conductive path. Bonding pads are attached to the internally disposed ends of each feedthrough conductive path, and corrosion resistant, conductive buttons are attached to and seal the externally disposed ends of each feedthrough conductive path. A plurality of conductive, substrate ground paths are formed extending through the co-fired metal-ceramic substrate between internally and externally facing layer surfaces thereof and electrically isolated from the substrate conductive paths. The capacitor ground electrodes are coupled electrically to the plurality of conductive, substrate ground paths and to the ferrule.

Capacitive filtered feedthrough array for an implantable medical device

A filtered feedthrough that does not block passage of gas in a helium leak test and enables testing of the hermeticity of the feedthrough while inhibiting high voltage arcing is disclosed in single filtered feedthrough and multiple filtered feedthrough array configurations. Each filtered feedthrough comprises a ferrule, an insulator, a feedthrough pin, a filter element, and a pre-formed insulative barrier or spacer located in an interior space between the feedthrough insulator and the filter element rather than a non-conductive adhesive filling the interior space. A gas flow path or pathway extends from the interior space to the exterior of the feedthrough bypassing each filter element. Any leak test gas applied in a hermeticity test and passing through defects in the feedthrough insulator or its attachment to the feedthrough pin or ferrule enters the interior space. The gas pathway extends from an interior space through one or more side wall hole of the ferrule and/or through one or more gap between the ferrule interior surface and the outer surface of the filter element.

Leak testable capacitive filtered feedthrough for an implantable medical device

A capacitive filter feedthrough assembly and method of making same are disclosed for shielding an implantable medical device such as pacemaker or defibrillator from electromagnetic interference or noise. A ferrule is adapted for mounting onto a conductive device housing by welding, soldering, brazing or gluing, and supports a terminal pin for feedthrough passage to a housing interior. A capacitive filter is mounted at the inboard side of a device housing, with capacitive filter electrode plate sets coupled respectively to the housing and the terminal pin by an electrically conductive combination of adhesive, brazing and soldering. In one embodiment of the invention, multiple capacitive filters are provided in an array within a common base structure, where each capacitive filter is associated with a respective terminal pin.

Adhesively- and solder-bonded capacitive filter feedthrough for

A capacitive filter feedthrough assembly and method of making the same are disclosed for shielding an implantable medical device such as pacemaker or defibrillator from electromagnetic interference or noise. A ferrule is adapted for mounting onto a conductive device housing by welding, soldering, brazing or gluing, and supports a terminal pin for feedthrough passage to a housing interior. A capacitive filter is mounted at the inboard side of a device housing, with capacitive filter electrode plate sets coupled respectively to the housing and the terminal pin by an electrically conductive combination of solder and brazing. In one embodiment of the invention, multiple capacitive filters are provided in an array within a common base structure, where each capacitive filter is associated with a respective terminal pin.

Capacitive filter feedthrough for implantable medical device

A capacitive filter feedthrough assembly and method of making the same are disclosed for shielding an implantable medical device such as pacemaker or defibrillator from electromagnetic interference or noise. A ferrule is adapted for mounting onto a conductive device housing by welding, soldering, brazing or gluing, and supports a terminal pin for feedthrough passage to a housing interior. A capacitive filter is mounted at the inboard side of a device housing, with capacitive filter electrode plate sets coupled respectively to the housing and the terminal pin by electrically conductive adhesive or brazing, or a combination of adhesive and brazing. In one embodiment of the invention, multiple capacitive filters are provided in an array within a common base structure, where each capacitive filter is associated with a respective terminal pin.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis Park, MN, United States of America

William D Wolf