Abstract: A battery having an electrode assembly located in a housing that efficiently utilizes the space available in many implantable medical devices is disclosed. The battery housing provides a cover and a shallow case a preferably planar, major bottom portion, an open top to receive the cover opposing the bottom portion, and a plurality of sides being radiused at intersections with each other and with the bottom to allow for the close abutting of other components located within the implantable device while also providing for efficient location of the battery within an arcuate edge of the device. The cover and the shallow case being substantially hermetically sealed by a laser weld technique and an insulator member disposed within the case to provide a barrier to incident laser radiation so that during welding radiation does not impinge upon radiation sensitive component(s) disposed within the case.

Abstract: A method of making a battery (preferably, an IMD battery) that includes applying a cathode material slurry that includes an active cathode material, a binder, an optional thickener and/or an optional dispersant, and a solvent to at least one major surface of a current collector.

Abstract: A cell for sensing differential pressures has a single brittle material diaphragm mounted on support plates positioned on opposite sides of the diaphragm. The diaphragm surfaces when at zero differential pressure facing the support are concave and shaped to conform very closely to the shape the diaphragm has when it is deflected so that when the diaphragm is under a selected pressure and it is forced against one of the supports in either direction, the diaphragm is substantially planar or flat and supported fully on its support plate. The diaphragm may be shaped by placing it under a pressure so that it bows or deflects and then grinding the surface opposite from the applied pressure flat. When the pressure is removed, the diaphragm relaxes and a cavity with the exact required shape is produced on the surface that had been bowed out and ground flat. The same procedure can be done to the other side of the diaphragm or two diaphragm sections may be fixed together.