Abstract: A co-fired electrical feedthrough for an implantable medical device (IMD) is provided having a shielded radio frequency (RF) conductive path. The feedthrough includes a monolithic structure derived from one or more layers of dielectric material and a conductive pathway extending through the monolithic structure for communicating RF signals into and from the IMD. An internal shield is formed to extend through at least one of the layers of dielectric material so as to surround the conductive pathway (e.g., in a coaxial relationship) and shield the RF conductive pathway from undesirable signals. This shielding of the RF conductive pathway prevents destructive EMI signals from entering into the IMD through the RF conductive pathway. In some embodiments, a monolithic structure containing embedded impedance matching elements is electrically connected to at least one conductive pathway in the feedthrough to perform impedance matching and/or filtering of the conductive pathway to other circuitry.

Abstract: An antenna for an implantable medical device (IMD) is provided including a monolithic structure derived from a plurality of discrete dielectric layers having an antenna embedded within the plurality of dielectric layers. The antenna includes antenna portions formed within different layers of the monolithic structure with at least one conductive via formed to extend through the dielectric layers in order to provide a conductive pathway between the portions of the antenna formed on different layers, such that an antenna is formed that extends between different vertical layers. The dielectric layers may comprise layers of ceramic material that can be co-fired together with the antenna to form a hermetically sealed monolithic antenna structure. The antenna embedded within the monolithic structure can be arranged to have a substantially spiral, helical, fractal, meandering or planer serpentine spiral shape.

Abstract: An improved, long range, telemetry system for uplink and downlink telemetry transmission between an implantable medical device (IMD) and an external medical device (EMD), e.g. a programmer or monitor, specifically operable in accordance with a method for ensuring that the telemetry link is between an intended, rather than an un-intended, implantable medical device and the external medical device. Verification is effective if the operator of the EMD observes an implant event signal that is transmitted by uplink telemetry to the EMD from the IMD contemporaneously with a response-provoking action performed in the vicinity of the implant site of the intended patient. The operator directly observes the response-provoking event, when the patient is in sight, or assists the patient in timing the response-provoking event when the patient is not in sight but is at least in voice communication.