# US 10,483,628 B2 · Antenna and attachment method for rechargeable implantable medical device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,483,628 B2 - Document ID: US10483628B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/345,187 - Filed: 2016-11-07 - Published: 2017-06-22 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-17 - Assignees: Pacesetter, Inc. - Applicants: Pacesetter, Inc. - Inventors: Perry Li; James T. Dean; Christopher A. Crawford - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10483628B2 ## CPC - H01Q 1/273: {Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals} - H01Q 13/08: Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines - H04B 5/43: Antennas - H04B 5/72: for local intradevice communication - H04B 5/79: for data transfer in combination with power transfer - A61B 5/0031: {Implanted circuitry} - A61N 1/37229: {Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna} - G06K 19/07758: {arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag} - H04B 5/26: using coils - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract Devices and methods are provided for an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising a device housing having electronic components therein, a feedthrough assembly joined to the device housing, an antenna assembly, and a header body mounted to the device housing and enclosing the antenna assembly and feedthrough assembly. The antenna assembly including an inner conductor, a dielectric material, and an outer conductor arranged to form a coaxial structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An implantable medical device, comprising: a device housing having electronic components therein; a feedthrough assembly joined to the device housing; an antenna assembly; and a header body mounted to the device housing and enclosing the antenna assembly and feedthrough assembly, the antenna assembly including an inner conductor, an outer conductor and a dielectric material disposed between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the inner conductor, the dielectric material and the outer conductor are concentrically arranged relative to one another about a longitudinal axis to form a tubular coaxial structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material surrounds a perimeter of the inner conductor and the outer conductor surrounds a perimeter of the dielectric material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the header body includes metallic components comprising at least one of a sensor electrode and receptacles configured to receive terminals on a lead, the tubular coaxial structure avoiding RF coupling with the metallic components. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly is formed with an ellipse shaped cross-section that includes a major portion and a minor portion, the major portion corresponding to the tubular coaxial structure formed of the inner and outer conductors and dielectric material. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the minor portion has a smaller diameter, relative to a diameter of the major portion, the minor portion including a ground conductor having a distal end fixed within an opening in the outer conductor, the inner and ground conductors extending in a common direction from a bottom surface of the antenna assembly. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the inner conductor is elongated with a proximal end and a distal end, the inner conductor extending from a bottom surface of the antenna assembly by a predetermined length to at least partially tune the antenna assembly to a select communication frequency. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna assembly includes a distal surface where the inner conductor, dielectric material and outer conductor terminate, the antenna assembly configured to generate RF fields between the inner and outer conductors at the distal surface in connection with RF communications. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a pin receptacle mounted within the header body, the pin receptacle electrically coupled to the antenna assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the pin receptacle includes a spring mounted within the pin retention cavity, the spring configured to physically and electrically engage the feedthrough pin when inserted into the pin retention cavity. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a pin receptacle, wherein the pin receptacle includes a pin retention cavity therein including a proximal end that is open to receive a feedthrough pin when the header body is mounted on the feedthrough assembly and the device housing. ### Claim 11 An implantable medical device, comprising: a device housing having electronic components therein; a feedthrough assembly joined to the device housing, the feedthrough assembly including a feedthrough pin coupled to the electronic components within the device housing, the feedthrough pin having a distal end extending from the feedthrough assembly; an antenna assembly; a header body enclosing the antenna assembly; and a pin receptacle mounted within the header body, the pin receptacle electrically coupled to the antenna assembly, the pin receptacle including a pin retention cavity therein, the pin receptacle including a proximal end that is open to the pin retention cavity, the feedthrough pin configured to be inserted into the pin retention cavity when the header body is mounted on the feedthrough assembly and the device housing, the antenna assembly including an inner conductor, an outer conductor and a dielectric material disposed between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the inner conductor, the dielectric material and the outer conductor are concentrically arranged relative to one another to form a tubular coaxial structure having a longitudinal axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the pin receptacle includes a spring mounted within the pin retention cavity, the spring configured to physically and electrically engage the feedthrough pin when inserted into the pin retention cavity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the pin receptacle includes a spring having a base securely affixed to an interior surface of the pin retention cavity, the spring including spring arms projecting from the base into the pin retention cavity, the spring arms configured to deflect when the feedthrough pin is inserted through the opening in the proximal end of the pin receptacle. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the dielectric material surrounds a perimeter of the inner conductor and the outer conductor surrounds a perimeter of the dielectric material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The device of claim 11, wherein the antenna assembly is formed with an ellipse shaped cross-section that includes a major portion and a minor portion, the major portion corresponding to the coaxial structure formed of the inner and outer conductors and dielectric material. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the minor portion has a smaller diameter relative to the diameter of the major portion, the minor portion including a ground conductor having a distal end fixed within an opening in the outer conductor, the inner and ground conductors extending in a common direction from a bottom surface of the antenna assembly. ### Claim 17 A method for providing an implantable medical device, comprising: assembling a device housing having electronic components therein; joining a feedthrough assembly to the device housing; providing an antenna assembly including an inner conductor, an outer conductor and a dielectric material disposed between the inner conductor and the outer conductor, wherein the inner conductor, the outer conductor and the dielectric material are concentrically arranged relative to one another about a longitudinal axis to form a tubular coaxial structure; and assembling a header body that embeds the antenna assembly therein to the device housing and enclosing the antenna assembly and feedthrough assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising inserting a feedthrough pin extending from the feedthrough assembly into a pin retention cavity of a pin receptacle electrically coupled to the antenna assembly when the header body is mounted on the feedthrough assembly and the device housing.