Implantable medical devices employing capacitive control of high voltage switches

An implantable device for treating a malfunctioning heart, comprising:

• high voltage circuit means including a tank capacitor for storing therein during a charging mode of operation thereof high voltage DC electrical energy and for delivering said energy to a malfunctioning heart in the form of an electrical shock during a discharging mode of operation thereof, and means for supplying high voltage electrical energy to said tank capacitor;
• high voltage switch means coupled to said high voltage circuit means for switching, in the order of microseconds, said high voltage circuit means between said charging and discharging modes of operation;
• power supply means for providing low voltage electrical energy for use in controlling said high voltage switch means;
• control circuit means coupled between said power supply means and said high voltage switch means and capable of driving said high voltage switch means to switch its output in the order of microseconds, for controlling the operation of said high voltage switch means;
• and
• capacitor means for capacitively coupling said power supply means to said control circuit means and electrically isolating said high voltage DC electrical energy from said power supply means,
• said control circuit means including common mode switch means for rejecting common mode noise, and additional switch means for rapidly changing the output state of said high voltage switch means.