Battery Feedthrough Pin Through Coincident Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices (IMDs) face challenges in minimizing size to enhance implantation options, reduce surgical extensiveness, and improve patient comfort, while maintaining effective functionality, particularly in the design of batteries within these devices.
Innovation Solution
The design includes an electrode assembly with conductive tabs and spacers that form coincident apertures to accommodate feedthrough pins, allowing direct connection to the electrode stack, thereby reducing the volume and thickness of the battery while ensuring robust electrical connections and minimizing heat generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional feedthrough connection methods are used with separate connection components, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but battery volume and thickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the feedthrough pin connection with the tab structure by forming coincident apertures that allow the feedthrough pin to pass through multiple tabs simultaneously. This integration eliminates the need for separate connection components and reduces the space required for feedthrough connections, directly addressing the volume reduction goal while maintaining reliable electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The coincident apertures serve multiple functions: they provide alignment features for assembly, create direct electrical pathways for multiple tabs through a single feedthrough pin, and eliminate the need for separate connection hardware. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while achieving reliable connections.
2Reliability
If larger battery is used to accommodate conventional feedthroughs, then reliable electrical connection is ensured, but patient comfort and cosmetic appearance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By combining multiple tab connections through a single feedthrough pin using coincident apertures, the patent reduces the overall space required for feedthrough accommodations. This volume reduction directly translates to smaller battery dimensions, which improves patient comfort and cosmetic appearance while maintaining reliable electrical connections through the integrated design.
3Strength
If more space is allocated for feedthrough connections, then connection robustness is improved, but battery thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by having the feedthrough pin pass through multiple tabs in sequence along its length. This dimensional approach allows robust connections to multiple tabs without increasing lateral dimensions or thickness, as the connections are stacked along the pin's longitudinal axis rather than requiring lateral space.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple electrical connections are merged into a single feedthrough pin assembly that passes through coincident apertures in multiple tabs. This consolidation creates robust electrical pathways without requiring separate connection points that would increase battery thickness, as all connections are integrated through the single pin structure.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional connection methods with separate components are used, then ease of assembly is maintained, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coincident apertures are pre-formed in the tabs during manufacturing, establishing precise alignment features before assembly. This preliminary action ensures that during assembly, the feedthrough pin simply needs to pass through the pre-aligned apertures, reducing the precision requirements during the actual assembly process while maintaining high overall alignment accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a smaller, more clinically acceptable battery that reduces the space required for feedthroughs and limits heat generation, enhancing the compactness and efficiency of IMDs.
Implementation Method 1
a feedthrough including a feedthrough pin extending through the battery case and through each of the coincident apertures. The feedthrough pin serves as a positive terminal for the battery.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery comprises a battery case forming a substantially sealed enclosure and an electrode stack within the enclosure. The electrode stack includes a first set of electrode elements and a second set of electrode elements. The electrode elements in the second set alternate with the electrode elements in the first set within the electrode stack. A conductive tab extends from each of the electrode elements in the first and second sets, wherein each of the conductive tabs in the first set forms an aperture, wherein the apertures are coincident with each other. The battery further comprises a feedthrough including a feedthrough pin extending through the battery case and through each of the coincident apertures, wherein the feedthrough pin serves as a positive terminal for the battery.