Patents by Inventor Mark Blanchfield

Mark Blanchfield has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Zener triggered overvoltage protection device
    Patent number: 7196889
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device is formed in a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of doped regions for forming semiconductor devices. The overvoltage protection device is adapted to draw current away from a device to be protected from excess voltage and has a switchable device having a terminal adapted to be coupled to a potential source of excess voltage and to the semiconductor substrate for drawing current away from the potential source of excess voltage when the switchable device is triggered, and for directing the current to the semiconductor substrate. A Zener diode is coupled to a second terminal of the switchable device to trigger the switchable device to a conducting state. The Zener diode is formed in the same doped region of the substrate as the trigger of the switchable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F Gerrish, Tyler J Mueller, Andreas A. Fenner, Mark Blanchfield
  • Zener triggered overvoltage protection device
    Publication number: 20040095698
    Abstract: An overvoltage protection device is formed in a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of doped regions for forming semiconductor devices. The overvoltage protection device is adapted to draw current away from a device to be protected from excess voltage and has a switchable device having a terminal adapted to be coupled to a potential source of excess voltage and to the semiconductor substrate for drawing current away from the potential source of excess voltage when the switchable device is triggered, and for directing the current to the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2002
    Publication date: May 20, 2004
    Applicant: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul F. Gerrish, Tyler J. Mueller, Andreas A. Fenner, Mark Blanchfield