US 11,938,330 B2
Implantable leadless pacemakers
Kenneth J. Carroll, Los Altos, CA (US); Alan Ostroff, Pleasanton, CA (US); and Peter M. Jacobson, Livermore, CA (US)
Assigned to Pacesetter, Inc., Sylmar, CA (US)
Filed by Pacesetter, Inc., Sylmar, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/920,876.
Application 15/712,497 is a division of application No. 13/956,946, filed on Aug. 1, 2013, granted, now 9,802,054, issued on Oct. 31, 2017.
Application 16/920,876 is a continuation of application No. 15/712,497, filed on Sep. 22, 2017, granted, now 10,744,332.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/678,505, filed on Aug. 1, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2020/0330773 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61N 1/375 (2006.01); A61N 1/362 (2006.01); A61N 1/372 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/3756 (2013.01) [A61N 1/362 (2013.01); A61N 1/37205 (2013.01); A61N 1/3758 (2013.01); A61N 1/375 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A leadless pacemaker, comprising:
a cell having a negative terminal and a positive terminal;
a cell housing within which the cell is disposed, the cell housing directly electrically-coupled to the negative terminal of the cell,
a tip electrode;
an insulator that electrically isolates the tip electrode from the cell housing; and
pacing electronics configured to cause the cell housing, which is directly electrically coupled to the negative terminal of the cell, to serve as a positive ring or can electrode when providing a stimulation pulse from the cell housing to the tip electrode through cardiac tissue by selectively discharging a charge stored on a capacitor into the cell housing when providing the stimulation pulse from the cell housing to the tip electrode through cardiac tissue.