Because implantable medical devices, as typified by cardiac pacemakers, must be embedded in the body, a key issue is to lessen the impact on the human body by making devices smaller in size (or low-invasive). As such, in recent years, there has been an increasing need to make these devices more compact. This is why Murata developed and put onto the market medical grade multilayer ceramic capacitors that feature a compact size, large capacity and high reliability for implantable medical devices.
This has enabled the high-density design of implantable medical devices that has helped make devices even more compact in size. The GCH/GCR Series for implantable medical devices has been screened to ensure that the initial failure rate is lower than that of the MLCC for consumer devices. Also, it has been designed to have a longer service life. In humidity load tests, thermal shock cycles and other tests, the required specifications for MLCC for high-reliability devices are considerably different from those for MLCC for consumer devices. Although the circuits of implantable medical devices can be separated into life support and non-life support circuits, Murata recommends the GCR Series for life support circuits and the GCH Series for non-life support circuits, and makes the following recommendations for the following implantable devices.