Patent ID: 7957806

Claim:
An EMI/energy dissipating filter for an active implantable medical device (AIMD), comprising: an electromagnetically shielded conductive housing for the AIMD; a hermetic terminal assembly for passage of at least one conductor through the AIMD housing in non-conductive relation therewith; at least one AIMD electronic circuit disposed within the AIMD housing; and a shielded three-terminal flat-through EMI/energy dissipating filter conductively coupled between the conductor and the AIMD electronic circuit, comprising: an active electrode plate through which a circuit current passes between a first terminal and a second terminal; a first shield plate on a first side of the active electrode plate; and a second shield plate on a second side of the active electrode plate opposite the first shield plate; wherein the first and second shield plates are conductively coupled to a grounded third terminal; wherein the active electrode plate is insulated from the shield plates by a dielectric material such that the active electrode plate and the shield plates cooperatively form a flat-through capacitor; and wherein the surface area of the active electrode plate is maximized to increase parasitic capacitance to a minimum of 20 picofarads and minimize resistance to current flow.