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AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsMichael O'Phelan, James Poplett, Robert Tong, Alexander Barr
Estimating the term…
Implantable defibrillators are implanted into the chests of patients prone to suffering ventricular fibrillation, a potentially fatal heart condition. A critical component in these devices is an aluminum electrolytic capacitors, which stores and delivers one or more life-saving bursts of electric charge to a fibrillating heart. These capacitors make up about one third the total size of the defibrillators. Unfortunately, conventional manufacturers of these capacitors have paid little or no attention to reducing the size of these capacitors through improved capacitor packaging. Accordingly, the inventors contravened several conventional manufacturing principles and practices to devise unique space-saving packaging that allows dramatic size reduction. One embodiment of the invention uses thinner and narrower separators and top and bottom insulative inserts to achieve a 330-volt operating, 390-volt surge, 190-microfarad, 30-Joule aluminum electrolytic capacitor which is 33 percent smaller than conventional capacitors having similar electrical traits.
An electrolytic capacitor that includes one or more separators having a thickness less than about 0.001 inches.
An electrolytic capacitor comprising a cylindrical active element that includes a capacitive assembly having one or more separators and one or more foil members, with one or more of the separators having a width and one or more of the foil members having a width that is at most 3.5 millimeters less than the width of one or more of the separators.
The electrolytic capacitor of claim 15 wherein the width of the one or more of the foil members is about 2.5 millimeters less than the width of the one or more of the separators.
An electrolytic capacitor comprising:
An aluminum electrolytic capacitor having a nominal capacitance of at least 190 micro-farads, a voltage rating of at least 300 volts, a total volume less than about 6 cubic-centimeters.
An implantable defibrillator comprising an electrolytic capacitor that has a nominal capacitance of 190 micro-farads, a voltage rating of at least 300 volts, and a total volume less than about 6 cubic-centimeters.
An implantable defibrillator comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.