Patent ID: 7554493

Claim:
An RF telemetry antenna system for communications between an external programmer and an implantable medical device, said system comprising: an implantable medical device housing including a conductive, metal housing portion defining an internal volume and a dielectric housing portion defining an internal volume; a self-resonating, monopole RF antenna contained within the internal volume defined by said dielectric portion of said medical device housing, said monopole antenna having a free end and connection end; and an internal transmitter/receiver circuit having a ground reference located within the metal housing portion that is connected to the metal housing portion such that the metal housing portion acts as a ground plane; wherein the monopole RF antenna has an elongate form with at least one folded portion and is conformed inside the internal volume defined by the dielectric housing portion, wherein transmissions from the at least one folded portion are receivable outside the dielectric housing portion, and wherein the connection end of the antenna is connected to the internal transmitter/receiver circuit.