Implantable medical device microstrip telemetry antenna

A telemetry system for communication between an external programmer and an implantable medical device, wherein:

• the external programmer comprises an external telemetry antenna and an external transceiver from receiving uplink telemetry transmissions and transmitting downlink telemetry transmissions through the external telemetry antenna;
• the implantable medical device comprises an implantable medical device housing, an implantable telemetry antenna and an implantable transceiver for receiving downlink telemetry transmissions and for transmitting uplink telemetry transmission through the implantable telemetry antenna, the implantable medical device housing being formed of a conductive metal and having an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface, the implantable medical device housing further being formed with a housing recess extending inwardly from the exterior housing surface to a predetermined housing recess depth in the predetermined substrate area of the exterior housing surface for receiving the dielectric substrate therein,
• the implantable medical device housing being formed as a conductive metal layer adhering to the interior housing surface;
• the implantable telemetry antenna is a conformal microstrip antenna formed as part of the implantable medical device housing, the microstrip antenna having electrically conductive ground plane and radiator patch layers separated by a dielectric substrate layer the conductive radiator patch layer having a predetermined thickness and predetermined radiator patch layer dimensions, the patch layer being formed upon one side of the dielectric substrate layer;
• the conductive ground plane layer is at least a portion of the conductive metal housing and has predetermined ground plane dimensions such that the conductive ground plane layer extends substantially in parallel to and at least coextensively with the conductive radiator patch layer, and
• the dielectric substrate is formed over a predetermined substrate area of the exterior housing surface, the dielectric substrate having an exposed exterior substrate surface, and
• the conductive radiator patch is formed over at least a portion of the extension substrate surface.

An implantable medical device, comprising:

• an implantable telemetry antenna;
• an implantable medical device housing;
• and
• a transceiver coupled to the implantable telemetry antenna for communications between an external medical device and the implantable medical device,
• wherein the implantable telemetry antenna is conformal microstrip antenna formed as part of the implantable medical device housing, the microstrip antenna having electrically conductive ground plane and radiator patch layers separated by a dielectric substrate layer,
• the implantable medical device housing is formed of a non-conductive dielectric substrate layer having an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface;
• the conductive ground plane layer is formed as a conductive metal layer adhering to the interior housing surface, and
• the conductive radiator patch layer is formed over at least a portion of the exterior housing surface.

A method of forming an implantable RF telemetry antenna as part of the housing of an implantable medical device for telemetry between an external medical device and the implantable medical device, comprising the steps of:

• forming an implantable medical device housing having exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface for receiving components of the implantable medical device therein;
• disposing a transceiver for receiving downlink telemetry transmissions and for transmitting uplink telemetry transmissions through the implantable RF telemetry antenna within the implantable medical device housing;
• and
• forming a conformal microstrip antenna as part of the implantable medical device housing, the microstrip antenna having a conductive ground plane layer and a conductive radiator patch layer separated by a dielectric substrate layer.