Selecting MLCCs That Meet The High-Reliability Requirements Of Medical Implantable Devices

Designing medical implantable devices for high reliability is crucial for a variety of reasons. First, given the life-critical functions performed by many medial implantable devices, and the invasive procedure required to implant medical equipment properly in the human body, it is imperative that all medical devices are designed to function reliably throughout their entire lifetime.

Furthermore, since patient safety is paramount, any precautions to reduce the possibility of potentially life-threatening malfunctions, recalls, and replacement surgeries are necessary. And, beyond preventing patient safety issues, there may also be severe economic and legal implications for device manufacturers if an implantable device fails.

But, ensuring the reliability of medical implantable devices is not straightforward since these devices are typically made up of many individual parts, including a variety of electronic components such as multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).

For medical device designers, there are a lot of decisions to make when selecting MLCCs. Some of the more standard considerations include case size, voltage and capacitance rating, and dielectric selection to ensure management of operating temperatures and temperature coefficients.

In addition to these fairly typical considerations, ensuring the MLCCs are designed for high reliability is also critical. While high reliability may sound like a subjective term, in the medical industry, high reliability has a specific meaning – the component is designed to maintain consistent excellence in quality and safety over long periods of time.

To learn more about MLCC screening and how Knowles Precision Devices can help ensure your implantable medical devices are designed for high reliability, download our latest white paper.