CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH MEDICAL DEVICES
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
- a first seal element made of a dielectric material comprising an annulus comprising a projection;
said annulus comprising a generally planar wall surface;
a conductive ring contact element comprising an interior wall surface adjacent at least one axial opening;
a second seal element made of a dielectric material comprising an annulus comprising a projection;
a canted coil spring;
wherein the conductive ring contact element is engaged to the first seal element and the second seal element and a ring groove is formed by at least one of said engagements; and
wherein the generally planar wall surface of the first seal element forms a dielectric side wall of the ring groove that together with the interior wall surface of the conductive ring contact element define a physical stop for retaining the canted coil spring inside the ring groove.
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Abstract
Connector assemblies for use with implantable medical devices having easy to assemble contacts are disclosed. The connector assemblies are generally formed by coupling a plurality of ring contacts, sealing rings, and spring contact elements together with at least one holding ring to form a connector having a common bore fore receiving a medical lead cable. Contact grooves or spring chambers for positioning the spring contact elements are formed in part by assembling multiple components together.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. An implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
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a first seal element made of a dielectric material comprising an annulus comprising a projection;
said annulus comprising a generally planar wall surface;a conductive ring contact element comprising an interior wall surface adjacent at least one axial opening; a second seal element made of a dielectric material comprising an annulus comprising a projection; a canted coil spring; wherein the conductive ring contact element is engaged to the first seal element and the second seal element and a ring groove is formed by at least one of said engagements; and wherein the generally planar wall surface of the first seal element forms a dielectric side wall of the ring groove that together with the interior wall surface of the conductive ring contact element define a physical stop for retaining the canted coil spring inside the ring groove. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
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a conductive ring contact element comprising a first axial side and a second axial side; a first dielectric seal element in mechanical engagement with the first axial side of the conductive ring contact element; a second dielectric seal element in mechanical engagement with the second axial side of the conductive ring contact element; and wherein a ring groove for accommodating a canted coil spring is formed by the engagements between the conductive ring contact element and the first and second dielectric seal elements; and wherein at least part of the ring groove has a first side wall formed by at least one of the first dielectric seal element and the second dielectric seal element. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for forming an implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
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positioning a canted coil spring into a conductive ring contact element; positioning the conductive ring contact element into engagement with a first dielectric seal element; positioning the conductive ring contact element into engagement with a second dielectric seal element; wherein a groove comprising a bottom wall and two side walls is formed by the engagement between the conductive ring contact element and at least one of the first and second dielectric seal elements; and wherein at least one of the two side walls is formed by part of the first dielectric seal element or the second dielectric seal element. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for forming an implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
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forming a ring groove by sliding a conductive ring contact element and two dielectric seal elements onto an installation rod and into axial engagement with one another; and placing a canted coil spring into the ring groove by placing the canted coil spring onto the installation rod and sliding the canted coil spring under a bottom wall defined by the conductive ring contact element.
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32. A method for forming an implantable medical connector stack having easy to install ring grooves for receiving contact springs comprising:
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projecting two axial ends of a conductive ring contact element over two shoulders of two adjacent non-conducting seal elements or under two shoulders of two adjacent dielectric seal elements to form a ring groove comprising a bottom wall made of a conductive material and two side walls each made from a non-conductive material; and placing a canted coil spring into the ring groove before the conductive ring contact element projects over or under at least one of the two adjacent non-conducting seal elements.
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33. A method for forming a connector stack for an implantable medical device having reduced overall length comprising:
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inserting a tubular ring contact element into two adjacent seal ring elements to form a ring groove, and placing a spring into said ring groove. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification