Implantable cardiac-stimulator with flat capacitor

DETAILED DESCRIPTION My invention involves an implantable defibrillator containing a storage capacitor of novel orientation and configuration.
The capacitor is "flat" in the sense that its thickness is smaller than its length or width, and the thickness axis of the capacitor is parallel to the thickness axis of the defibrillator housing, which is likewise "flat.
" The plates of the capacitor are spiralwound about an axis parallel to the thickness axes of the capacitor and the housing.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an implantable cardiac defibrillator including a housing having mutually orthogonal thickness, width and length axes.
The housing has a thickness dimension measured along the thickness axis, a width dimension measured along the width axis and a length dimension measured along the length axis.
The thickness dimension is smaller than either of the width and length dimensions.
An improved energy storage capacitor within the housing has mutually orthogonal thickness, width and length axes.
The capacitor has a thickness dimension measured along the thickness axis, a width dimension measured along the width axis and a length dimension measured along the length axis.
The thickness dimension of the capacitor is smaller than either of the width and length dimensions of the capacitor.
The capacitor further includes a first plate layer, a second plate layer, and a dielectric layer separating the first plate layer and the second plate layer.
The first plate, second plate and dielectric layers are arranged spirally about an axis parallel to the thickness axis of the capacitor, where the thickness axis of the capacitor is substantially parallel to the thickness axis of the housing.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the aforementioned energy storage capacitor is constructed as an annulus with a hollow center.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a battery or other component of the defibrillator is disposed within the hollow center of the aforementioned annular energy storage capacitor