Andy Thom

Andy Thomas

Principal Scientist

Medtronic Energy & Component Center

Andy is a scientist in the Feedthrough Research & Technology group at the Medtronic Energy & Component Center in Brooklyn Center, MN. His work has concentrated on the bonding of ceramics, especially alumina ceramics and sapphire, to refractory metals for electrical and optical feedthrough applications in implanted medical devices. He has studied a variety of ceramic-to-metal bonding methods including gold brazing, glass joining and diffusion bonding for numerous research and development programs. He has also worked extensively on developing accelerated test methods to simulate long-term body implant conditions, as well as prediction of component lifetimes through rigorous statistical reliability estimations. He has multiple granted patents as well as numerous patent applications.

Andy previously worked at Ames National Laboratory (U.S.D.O.E. laboratory at Iowa State University) as an Associate Scientist from 1997-2005. He conducted research to understand the synthesis, processing and properties of advanced materials for aerospace and power generation applications. He has over 20 publications and numerous presentations at professional society meetings relating to this work.

Andy earned both B.S. (1988) and Ph.D. degrees (1995) in Ceramic Engineering from Iowa State University.

Medtronic Energy & Component Center
6700 Shingle Creek Parkway
Mailstop G207
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430

Telephone: (763) 514-1128

Email: andrew.thom@medtronic.com

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