Shock resistant accelerometer for implantable medical device

US5885471A · filed 1997-07-31 · granted 1999-03-23 · Medtronic, Inc. flagship

Abstract T1 · from the patent

Accelerometer assemblies for implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, IPGs, PCDs, defibrillators and ICDs. The assembly comprises a beam that deflects in response to an externally provided force; deflection of the beam generates a voltage in a piezoelectric material in the assembly. At least one stop limits the vertical range of motion through which the beam may deflect, preventing failure, fracturing or breakage of the beam from excessive deflection.

Why it ranks where it does

First-listed; the beam-stop that made implantable accelerometers survivable. THE most-cited patent in the corpus: 203 direct citations + 30 citing families.

Signals: first-listed inventor · founds its line · 4-grant family chain · see methodology.

Inventors

David A. Ruben, Mark E. Henschel, Larry R. Larson, Roy Inman, Louis A. Molinari, Joan A. O'Gara, Ronald F. Messer

Same line

US6216537B1 — Accelerometer for implantable medical device (2001)
US6038475A — High output sensor and accelerometer for implantable medical device (2000)
US5911738A — High output sensor and accelerometer implantable medical device (1999)

Read the full patent on Google Patents → (claims, figures, citations — all public domain)