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EP-4739385-A1 - IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

EP4739385A1EP 4739385 A1EP4739385 A1EP 4739385A1EP-4739385-A1

Abstract

An implantable medical device (20) is provided. The implantable medical device (20) comprises: an elongated housing (22) for accommodating one or more electronic components (28, 30) of the implantable medical device (20), wherein at least an outside of the housing (22) is completely made of a dielectric material; a first cap (24) coupled to a first longitudinal end of the housing (22) and being configured for closing the first longitudinal end of the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the first cap (24) is at least partly configured as a first electrode of the implantable medical device (20) and wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components (28, 30); and a second cap (26) coupled to the housing (22) at a second longitudinal end of the housing (22) opposite to the first longitudinal end of the housing (22) and being configured for closing the second longitudinal end of the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the second cap (26) is at least partly configured as a second electrode (27) and wherein the second electrode (27) is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components (28, 30).

Inventors

  • HENSCHEL, MARTIN
  • STARKE, MARCEL
  • ROMBERG, JAN
  • Hartmann-Bax, Kathy

Assignees

  • BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240605

Claims (15)

  1. 1. An implantable medical device (20), comprising: an elongated housing (22) for accommodating one or more electronic components (28, 30) of the implantable medical device (20), wherein at least an outside of the housing (22) is completely made of an electrically insulating or dielectric material; a first cap (24) coupled to a first longitudinal end of the housing (22) and being configured for closing the first longitudinal end of the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the first cap (24) is at least partly configured as a first electrode of the implantable medical device (20) and wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components (28, 30); and a second cap (26) coupled to the housing (22) at a second longitudinal end of the housing (22) opposite to the first longitudinal end of the housing (22) and being configured for closing the second longitudinal end of the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the second cap (26) is at least partly configured as a second electrode (27) and wherein the second electrode (27) is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components (28, 30).
  2. 2. The implantable medical device (20) of claim 1, wherein the elongated housing (22) is essentially made of the electrically insulating or dielectric material, or comprises an outer layer made essentially made of the electrically insulating or dielectric material and an inner layer essentially made from a material different form the electrically insulating or dielectric material.
  3. 3. The implantable medical device (20) of one of the preceding claims, comprising: one or more electrically conductive layers (52) and/or lines on an inner wall of the housing (22), on an outer wall of the housing (22) or embedded in the housing (22).
  4. 4. The implantable medical device (20) of one of the preceding claims, wherein the first cap (24) and/or the second cap (26) are made of an electrically conductive material.
  5. 5. The implantable medical device (20) of one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first cap (24) and/or the second cap (26) comprises a first portion made of an electrically insulating material and second portion made of an electrically conducting material, wherein the second portion is at least partly configured as the first electrode or the second electrode.
  6. 6. The implantable medical device (20) of claim 1, comprising: a first coupling body (32) for mechanically coupling the first cap (24) to the housing (22); and/or a second coupling body (34) for mechanically coupling the second cap (26) to the housing (22).
  7. 7. The implantable medical device (20) of any one of the preceding claims, comprising: a first spring (40) for coupling the first cap (24) to at least one of the electronic components (28, 30), wherein the first spring (40) is formed and arranged such that it is biased when the first cap (24) is fixedly arranged at the housing (22); and/or a second spring (42) for coupling the second cap (26) to at least one of the electronic components (28, 30), wherein the second spring (42) is formed and arranged such that it is biased when the second cap (26) is fixedly arranged at the housing (22).
  8. 8. The implantable medical device (20) of claim 6, wherein the first spring (40) is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the first electrode and to the corresponding electronic component (28, 30), and/or the second spring (42) is electrically conductive and is electrically coupled to the second electrode (27) and the corresponding electronic component (28, 30).
  9. 9. The implantable medical device (20) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the electronic components (28, 30) is formed and arranged such that a longitudinal end of the corresponding electronic component (28, 30) is formed as the first or second cap (26).
  10. 10. The implantable medical device (20) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the electronic components (28, 30) is formed and arranged such that a housing (22) of the corresponding electronic component (28, 30) forms at least a part of the housing (22) of the implantable medical device (20).
  11. 11. The implantable medical device (20) of any one of the preceding claims, comprising: one or more connectors (48) being arranged between the first and/or second caps (24, 26) and the corresponding electronic components (28, 30) and/or between different ones of the electronic components (28, 30), wherein the connectors (48) are configured for electrically and/or mechanically coupling the corresponding first and/or second caps (24, 26) to the corresponding electronic components (28, 30) and/or, respectively, for electrically and/or mechanically coupling the corresponding electronic components (28, 30) to each other.
  12. 12. The implantable medical device (20) of any one of the preceding claims, being configured as an implantable monitor, or an intracardiac pacemaker
  13. 13. A method for assembling an implantable medical device (20), the method comprising: providing an elongated housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the housing (22) is completely made of an electrically insulating or dielectric material; coupling a first cap (24) for closing a first longitudinal end of the housing (22) to the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the first cap (24) is at least partly configured as a first electrode of the implantable medical device (20); arranging one or more electronic components (28, 30) within the housing (22), wherein at least one of the electronic components (28, 30) is electrically coupled to the first electrode; and coupling a second cap (26) to the housing (22), wherein the second cap (26) is configured for closing the housing (22) at a second longitudinal end of the housing (22) opposite to the first longitudinal end of the housing (22), wherein at least an outside of the second cap (26) is at least partly configured as a second electrode (27) and wherein the second electrode (27) is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components (28, 30).
  14. 14. The method of claim 13, comprising coupling a first coupling body (32) to the housing (22) before coupling the first cap (24) to the housing (22), and coupling the first cap (24) to the housing (22) via the first coupling body (32) afterwards; and/or coupling a second coupling body (34) to the housing (22) before coupling the second cap (26) to the housing (22), and coupling the second cap (26) to the housing (22) via the second coupling body (34) afterwards.
  15. 15. The method of any one of claims 13 or 14, comprising arranging a first spring (40) between the first cap (24) and the corresponding electronic component (28, 30), wherein the first spring (40) is formed and arranged such that it is biased when the first cap (24) is fixedly arranged at the housing (22); and/or arranging a second spring (42) between the second cap (26) and the corresponding electronic component (28, 30), wherein the second spring (42) is formed and arranged such that it is biased when the second cap (26) is fixedly arranged at the housing (22).

Description

IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE The present invention relates to an implantable medical device and to a method for assembling the implantable medical device. Modern Implantable Medical Devices (IMDs), such e.g., as pacemakers, cardiac monitors, and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillators generally have conductive housings and insulating elements for carrying electrical signals. In their internal structure, electric circuits and/or electronic components, such as e.g., integrated circuits, memories, and batteries, are usually mounted side by side and positioned and held in relation to each other by a mounting frame. The corresponding electrical contacts are generally made by means of a material connection or, less frequently, by means of plug-in contacts. An assembly of the internal structure and the preparation of the corresponding electrical connections are relatively complex and cannot be optimally automated. Further, the electrical connections are generally no longer detachable in the event of faults. In addition, material-locking connections in the internal structure of the IMDs require a proper accessibility, e.g., for laser welding operations (inert gas, laser light beam). For smaller IMDs, technical limits may be encountered and the choice of housing design may be severely restricted, e.g. by using a two-part implant housing that can only be closed after the welding operation. Therefore, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved implantable medical device, which enables an assembly of the implantable medical device and/or a provision of electrical connections of the implantable medical device in a simple and/or automatic way, and/or which enables an electrical testing of the implantable medical device before the electrical connections are made inseparably, and/or which may have a low complexity and/or which may involve low costs only. Further, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved method for assembling an implantable medical device, the method enabling the assembly of the implantable medical device and/or the provision of electrical connections of the implantable medical device in a simple and/or automatic way, and/or enabling an electrical testing of the implantable medical device before the electrical connections are made inseparably. Such objectives may be met by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims as well as the corresponding specification and figures. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an implantable medical device (IMD) is provided. The IMD comprises: an elongated housing for accommodating one or more electronic components of the IMD, wherein at least an outside of the housing is completely made of an electrically insulating or dielectric material; a first cap coupled to a first longitudinal end of the housing and being configured for closing the first longitudinal end of the housing, wherein at least an outside of the first cap is at least partly configured as a first electrode of the IMD and wherein the first electrode is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components; and a second cap coupled to the housing at a second longitudinal end of the housing opposite to the first longitudinal end of the housing and being configured for closing the second longitudinal end of the housing, wherein at least an outside of the second cap is at least partly configured as a second electrode and wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to one or more of the electronic components. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for assembling the IMD is provided. The method comprises: providing the elongated housing, wherein at least the outside of the housing is completely made of the electrically insulating or dielectric material; coupling the first cap for closing the first longitudinal end of the housing to the housing, wherein at least the outside of the first cap is at least partly configured as the first electrode of the IMD; arranging the one or more electronic components within the housing, wherein at least one of the electronic components is electrically coupled to the first electrode; and coupling the second cap to the housing, wherein the second cap is configured for closing the housing at the second longitudinal end of the housing opposite to the first longitudinal end of the housing, wherein at least the outside of the second cap is at least partly configured as the second electrode and wherein the second electrode is electrically coupled to the one or more of the electronic components. Briefly summarised in a non-limiting manner, embodiments of the present invention relate to a new IMD-design, in particular to an IMD-flashlight-design. Most conventional flashlights have a design according to which an elongated flashlight-housing is provided. The flashl