Design and reliability considerations in implants

The author discusses a variety of failure mechanisms and their causes and delineates design guidelines that minimize their occurrence. He discusses passive components utilized in implantable hybrids, namely capacitors, resistors, and inductors. He examines the typical semiconductor characteristics and operating conditions required for implantable products, and describes bipolar and CMOS integrated circuits. The design of a sophisticated pacemaker hybrid is presented. Quality control issues are considered.<>