An overvoltage protection element, provided as a component of a medical device (3) used on or in a human or animal body, reduces power absorption upon application of an external overvoltage signal having chronological rising and/or decay characteristic at an interface (15) of the medical device (3). The overvoltage protection element has reshaping means (17) which convert the external overvoltage signal at the interface (15) into an internal voltage pulse, and limiting means (19) which limit a voltage drop on at least one electronic component of the medical device to a predetermined limiting value.
