# US 9,521,744 B2 · Filtered feedthrough assembly for implantable medical electronic devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,744 B2 - Document ID: US9521744B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/628,119 - Filed: 2015-02-20 - Published: 2015-08-27 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-21 - Assignees: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. - Applicants: Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. - Inventors: Patrick J. Barry; Randy White; Troy A. Giese; James E. Blood; Michael J. Lyden; Robert M. Mohn - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521744B2 ## CPC - A61N 1/3754: {Feedthroughs} - H05K 1/0231: {Capacitors or dielectric substances} - H05K 1/115: {Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/181: associated with surface mounted components - H05K 3/10: in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern - H05K 3/32: electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits - H05K 3/4038: {Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections (H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence)} - H05K 5/0247: {Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring} - H05K 5/04: Metal casings - A61N 1/086: {Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads} - H05K 2201/10015: Non-printed capacitor - Y10T 29/49139: by inserting component lead or terminal into base aperture - 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) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A filtered feedthrough assembly for an implantable medical device includes a ferrule, an electrical insulator coupled to the ferrule by a connection element, a plurality of feedthrough conductors extending through the electrical insulator, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a plurality of capacitors. The PCB is coupled to the ferrule or the electrical insulator, and includes one or more ground layers and a plurality of vias. The connection element is electrically coupled to the ground layer through the vias. The capacitor has a ground terminal electrically coupled to the ground layer through at least one of the vias, and a conductor terminal electrically coupled to the feedthrough conductor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A filtered feedthrough assembly for an implantable medical device, comprising: a ferrule configured to be attached to a metal case of the implantable medical device; an electrical insulator coupled to the ferrule by a connection element; a feedthrough conductor extending through the electrical insulator; a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to at least one of the ferrule and the electrical insulator, the PCB including a ground layer and a plurality of vias, the connection element being electrically coupled to the ground layer through the vias; and a capacitor having a ground terminal electrically coupled to the ground layer through at least one of the vias, and a conductor terminal electrically coupled to the feedthrough conductor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 1, further comprising a conductive epoxy disposed within at least one of the vias to electrically couple the connection element to the ground layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 1, wherein the PCB includes a plurality of ground layers and wherein the vias traverse the plurality of ground layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of feedthrough conductors extending through the electrical insulator, and a plurality of capacitors each associated with one of the plurality of feedthrough conductors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 4, wherein each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors includes a ground terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of ground layers by at least one of the vias, and a conductor terminal electrically coupled to a respective one of the feedthrough conductors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 3, further comprising at least one ground pin electrically coupled to the ground layers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 6, wherein the number of ground pins equals the number of ground layers of the PCB. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 1, wherein the connection element is a gold braze material disposed so as to attach the electrical insulator to the ferrule. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 1, wherein a conductive epoxy is disposed within at least one of the plurality of vias to contact the connection element so as to provide a continuous electrical path between the connection element and the ground layer. ### Claim 10 A filtered feedthrough assembly for an implantable medical device, comprising: a ferrule configured to be attached to a metal case of the implantable medical device; an electrical insulator coupled to the ferrule by an electrically conductive connection element; a plurality of feedthrough conductors extending through the electrical insulator from a first side to a second side thereof; a printed circuit board (PCB) disposed adjacent to the second side of the electrical insulator, the PCB including a plurality of ground layers, and a plurality of vias traversing the ground layers, the vias configured to provide a plurality of electrically conductive paths through the ground layers, wherein the electrically conductive connection element is electrically coupled to the plurality of ground layers through the plurality of vias; and a plurality of capacitors each having a ground terminal and a conductor terminal, wherein the ground terminal is electrically coupled to the plurality of ground layers through at least one of the plurality of vias, and the conductor terminal is electrically coupled to at least one of the plurality of feedthrough conductors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 10, wherein a conductive epoxy is disposed within the plurality of vias so as to electrically couple the electrically conductive connection element to the plurality of ground layers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive connection element is a gold braze material disposed so as to attach the electrical insulator to the ferrule, and wherein the conductive epoxy is disposed within at least one of the plurality of vias to contact the gold braze material so as to provide a plurality of electrical paths electrically coupling the gold braze material to the plurality of ground layers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 10, further comprising at least one ground pin electrically coupled to the plurality of ground layers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 13, wherein the at least one ground pin is coupled to the plurality of ground layers by a conductive epoxy injected into at least one of the plurality of vias. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The filtered feedthrough assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of ground layers comprises one of four ground layers, three ground layers, and two ground layers. ### Claim 16 A method of making a filtered feedthrough assembly for an implantable medical device, the method comprising: providing a PCB having a plurality of ground layers, a plurality of vias extending through the ground layer, and a plurality of capacitors, each of the capacitors having a conductor terminal and a ground terminal electrically coupled to the plurality of ground layers through at least one of the vias; coupling an electrical insulator to a ferrule using an electrically conductive connection element; disposing a plurality of feedthrough conductors through the electrical insulator and attaching the feedthrough conductors to the electrical insulator; coupling the PCB to one or more of the ferrule, the electrical insulator, and the feedthrough conductors; electrically coupling each of the feedthrough conductors to the conductor terminal of a respective one of the capacitors; and electrically coupling the connection element to the plurality of ground layers through the vias. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically coupling a plurality of ground pins to the ferrule of the feedthrough assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein electrically coupling the connection element to the plurality of ground layers includes disposing a conductive material in the plurality of vias so as to contact the connection element and provide a plurality of parallel electrical paths from the connection element to the plurality of ground layers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein disposing the conductive material in the plurality of vias includes disposing a conductive epoxy in the plurality of vias.