Methods and apparatus for reducing deleterious effects of x-ray radiation upon implantable medical device circuitry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9205182-B2
Application number	US-9680105-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2005
Priority date	Mar 31, 2005
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

According to the invention methods and structures for determining whether impingement of x-ray radiation upon potentially vulnerable discrete components, circuits and/or circuit pathways of an implantable medical device (IMD) causes modifications or damage thereto. The invention includes structures for deflecting impingement of x-ray radiation from said potentially vulnerable components, circuits and/or circuit pathways. The x-ray radiation can be generated by various imaging modalities or unknown sources. Myriad IMDs can utilize the teaching of the present invention, including for example, a pacemaker, a drug delivery pump, a nerve stimulation device, a muscle stimulation device, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, a subcutaneous defibrillator, a deep brain stimulator or the like.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:
a substantially hermetic housing;
processing means for operating and controlling the IMD disposed at least partially within the housing, said processing means including circuitry vulnerable to damage by imaging X-ray radiation;
a portion of material opaque to imaging X-ray radiation disposed within the housing and intermediate the circuitry and the housing, said material configured to cover only part of the processing means, the part of the processing means covered including the x-ray vulnerable circuitry.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing means is further adapted to adjust a stimulation rate in which the IMD stimulates a heart.

3. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises a pacemaker.

4. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of x-ray opaque material comprises a substantially planar sheet of material.

5. A device according to claim 4 , wherein the material comprises one of a ceramic material and a metallic material.

6. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the material comprises lead.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

8. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises a nerve stimulator.

9. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises a drug pump.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises an implantable pulse generator.

11. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the IMD comprises an implantable brain stimulator.

12. An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:
a substantially hermetic housing;
processing means for operating and controlling the IMD disposed at least partially within the housing, said processing means including circuitry vulnerable to damage by imaging X-ray radiation;
a portion of material opaque to imaging X-ray radiation disposed within the housing and intermediate the circuitry and the housing, said material configured to cover a part of the processing means including the x-ray vulnerable circuitry.

13. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the portion of x-ray opaque material comprises a substantially planar sheet of material.

14. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the material comprises one of a ceramic material and a metallic material.

15. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the material comprises lead.

16. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the processing means is further adapted to adjust a stimulation rate in which the IMD stimulates a heart.

17. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the IMD comprises a pacemaker.

18. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the IMD comprises an implantable pulse generator.

19. A device according to claim 15 , wherein the IMD comprises a drug pump.

Assignees

• Clement Wesley J
• Fujimoto Hiroshi
• Wilkinson Jeffrey D
• Buysman John R
• Borgerding Girard B
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Clement Wesley J
• Fujimoto Hiroshi
• Wilkinson Jeffrey D
• Buysman John R
• Borgerding Girard B

Classifications

• A61N1/375

  Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings · CPC title

• H10W72/07554

  changes in dispositions · CPC title

• H10W72/547

  Dispositions of multiple bond wires · CPC title

• H10W72/5449

  not being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. fan-out arrangements · CPC title

• H10W90/753

  between laterally-adjacent chips · CPC title