ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS

• US 20080274651A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deringer-Ney, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Deringer-Ney, Inc.
• Inventors: Boyd, Garth W., Dubuc, Dana, Poppy, Michael E., Engel, Aaron, Smith, Edward F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,690,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/717
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/193 Means for increasing contact pressure at the end of engagement of coupling part , e.g. zero insertion force or no friction
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

An electrical connection apparatus includes at least one stackable block operably coupleable to another stackable block, at least one pin receiving portion defined by an inner wall within the stackable block, and at least one electrical connection contact having a C-shaped contact portion with elastic properties disposed within the pin receiving portion and a lead portion disposed at a location exterior to the stackable block. The electrical connection apparatus may further include an adjustment component and an adjustment component receiving portion defined by in inner wall within the stackable block. In addition, sliders may be arranged on the stackable block and may engage with tabs formed on the at least one electrical connection contact. The sliders may be moved to a raised or lowered position in order to move the at least one electrical connection contact between a contact and an insertion position.

Claims

1. An electrical connection apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one stackable block, wherein each block is operably coupleable to another stackable block;

(b) at least one pin receiving portion defined by an inner wall within the at least one stackable block; and

(c) at least one electrical connection contact comprising;

(i) a C-shaped contact portion disposed within the at least one pin receiving portion, the C-shaped contact portion having elastic properties; and

(ii) a lead portion disposed at a location exterior to the stackable block, wherein the C-shaped contact portion and the lead portion integrally form the at least one electrical connection contact.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical connection contact comprises a precious metal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the C-shaped contact portion has an unconstrained diameter that is smaller than an outer diameter of a pin insertable into the at least one pin receiving portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one end block configured to couple with the at least one stackable block.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising an external clip configured to secure the end block and the least one stackable block.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a bolt disposed through a central opening arranged in the at least one end block and each of the at least one stackable blocks, wherein the bolt is configured to secure the at least one end block and each of the at least one stackable blocks.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seal component associated with each of the at least one pin receiving portion, the seal component comprising a vertical seal portion and a horizontal seal portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vertical seal portion comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to contact one of the at least one stackable blocks and the second is configured to contact another of the at least one stackable blocks.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the horizontal seal portion comprises a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to contact a pin disposed in the pin receiving portion and the second end is configured to contact one of the at least one stackable blocks.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, whereby the horizontal seal creates a seal between two of the at least one stackable blocks.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one stackable block comprises at least one retaining clip for retaining the seal component.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment component rotatably disposed in each of the at least one stackable blocks, the adjustment component configured to cause the C-shaped contact portion arranged in each of the at least one pin receiving portions to be urged between an insertion position and a contact position.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the C-shaped contact portion has an unconstrained diameter that is larger than an outer diameter of a pin configured to be insertable into the at least one pin receiving portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the adjustment component comprises at least one cam contact portion operably coupleable with each of the C-shaped contact portions, wherein rotation of the adjustment component causes the at least one cam contact portion to urge the C-shaped contact portion between the insertion position and the contact position.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a tab arranged on the terminal end of each of the C-shaped contact portions; and

at least one slider associated with the adjustment component and arranged in the stackable block, wherein the slider is configured to accept at least one of the electrical contact tabs, and wherein the adjustment component is configured to move up and down in response to rotation of the adjustment component which causes the tabs to move the C-shaped contact portion between the insertion position and the contact position.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one stackable block comprises an adjustment component receiving portion configured to accept the adjustment component, wherein the adjustment component receiving portion comprises a first and a second hard stop, the first hard stop substantially corresponding to an insertion position of the adjustment component and the second hard stop substantially corresponding to a contact position of the adjustment component.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the adjustment component further comprises a drive component and a drive receiving component, wherein the drive receiving component is configured mate with another drive component of an adjacent adjustment component.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a tool configured to engage with the drive receiving component in order to rotate the adjustment component between the insertion position and the contact position.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a first end block comprising an adjustment component access portion defined by an inner wall, wherein the first end block is configured to couple to a first side of the at least one stackable block comprising an adjustment component.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a second end block comprising at least one pin access portion defined by at least one inner wall, wherein the second end block is configured to couple to a second side of the at least one stackable block such that the at least one pin receiving portion defined by the inner wall within the at least one stackable block is positioned in an area corresponding to the area of the pin access portion of the second end block

21. An electrical connection apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one stackable block, wherein each block is operably coupleable to another stackable block;

(b) at least one means for receiving an insertable pin, the means for receiving an insertable pin defined by the at least one stackable block; and

(c) at least one means for providing an electrical connection between an insertable pin and an external device, the means for providing an electrical connection disposed in the at least one stackable block.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the at least one means for providing an electrical connection comprises:

(a) a means for contacting the insertable pin disposed within the means for receiving the insertable pin, the means for contacting the insertable pin having elastic properties; and

(b) a exterior means for contacting the external device, the exterior means being electrically coupled to the means for contacting the insertable pin.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a means for adjusting the means for contacting the insertable pin between an insertion position and a contact position.

24. A method of electrically connecting an implanted medical device and an implanted stimulation electrode, the method comprising:

providing a connection device comprising at least one stackable block and a first end block and a second end block arranged on a first and a second end of the at least one stackable block, each of the at least one stackable blocks comprising;

(a) at least one pin receiving portion defined by the stackable block; and

(b) at least one electrical connection contact comprising;

(i) a C-shaped contact portion disposed within the at least one pin receiving portion, the C-shaped contact portion having elastic properties; and

(ii) a lead portion disposed at a location exterior to the stackable block;

inserting a pin into the at least one pin receiving portion, wherein the pin is electrically coupled to one of the implanted medical device or the implanted stimulation electrode; and

electrically coupling to the lead portion the other of the implanted medical device or the implanted stimulation electrode.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising rotating an adjustment component disposed within each of the at least two stackable blocks, whereby the C-shaped contact portion moves between a contact position in contact with the pin and an insertion position.