IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HEADERS THAT FACILITATE DEVICE AND LEAD CONFIGURATION VARIANTS

• US 20110104955A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hegland, Michael T., Seeley, Dale F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,075,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/668
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• 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 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/00 Two-part coupling devices, or either of their cooperating parts, characterised by their overall structure contact members H01R13/02; securing contact members in or to a base or case or insulating of contact members H01R13/40; bases or cases H01R13/46; means for supporting coupling part when not engaged H01R13/60; means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement H01R13/62; means for preventing, inhibiting or avoiding incorrect coupling H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/86 Parallel contacts arranged about a common axis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

Implantable medical devices include headers having various features such as a modular design whereby the header is constructed from a series of stacked contact modules. Additional features include a feedthrough where pins exiting a housing of the implantable medical device extend into the header to make direct electrical connection to electrical contacts present within the header where those electrical contacts directly engage electrical connectors of leads inserted into the header. Other features include electrical contacts that are relatively thin conductors on the order of 0.040 inches or less and may include radial protrusions where the radial protrusions establish contact with the electrical connectors of the lead. Furthermore, electrical contacts may be mounted within the header in a floating manner so that radial movement of the electrical contact may occur during lead insertion.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header comprising;

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway;

a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality; and

a plurality of electrical contacts positioned within the lead passageway, with at least one electrical contact of the plurality being located axially between contact isolators, each of the plurality of contacts being in electrical communication with a corresponding pin of the feedthrough.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein each contact module has axial extensions spaced circumferentially on a first end, the plurality of contact modules being stacked so that an axial extension of one contact module fits into the lead passageway of an adjacent contact module,

wherein each contact isolator of the plurality is present between an abutment within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module and an end of the axial extensions of an adjacent contact module that are present within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module, and

wherein each electrical contact of the plurality is disposed about the axial extensions of the plurality of contact modules.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein each of the electrical contacts includes an extension that is present within a first channel of the contact modules, and wherein each pin of the feedthrough is present within a second channel of the contact modules to contact a corresponding extension of the electrical contacts.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the header is encapsulated in a polymer.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein each of the electrical contacts surrounds the lead passageway and comprises flexible radial protrusions.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of adjacent contact modules are fused.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein at least one contact isolator of the plurality is co-molded with a corresponding contact module.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein each contact isolator is made of silicone rubber.

9. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header defining at least one lead passageway and comprising a plurality of electrical contacts, each of the electrical contacts including an extension that is present within the header, with each pin of the feedthrough extending through one channel of a set of channels of the header to contact a corresponding extension of the electrical contacts.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the header further comprises:

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway;

a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality; and

wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are positioned within the at least one lead passageway, with at least one electrical contact being located axially between contact isolators.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein each contact module has axial extensions spaced circumferentially on a first end, the plurality of contact modules being stacked so that an axial extension of one contact module fits into the lead passageway of an adjacent contact module,

wherein each contact isolator of the plurality is present between an abutment within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module and an end of the axial extensions of an adjacent contact module that are present within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module, and

wherein each electrical contact of the plurality is disposed about the axial extensions of the plurality of contact modules.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of adjacent contact modules are fused.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein each contact isolator is a ring.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the header is encapsulated in a polymer.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein each of the electrical contacts surrounds the lead passageway and comprises flexible radial protrusions.

16. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header defining at least one lead passageway and comprising a plurality of electrical contacts with each of the electrical contacts being electrically coupled to at least one pin, each of the plurality of electrical contacts surrounding the lead passageway and having a thickness in an axial direction of 0.040 inches or less.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the electrical contact floats radially relative to the at least one lead passageway.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein the header further comprises:

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway;

a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality; and

wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are positioned within the at least one lead passageway of the adjacent contact modules, with at least one electrical contact being located axially between contact isolators.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein each contact module has axial extensions spaced circumferentially on a first end, the plurality of contact modules being stacked so that an axial extension of one contact module fits into the lead passageway of an adjacent contact module,

wherein each contact isolator of the plurality is present between an abutment within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module and an end of the axial extensions of an adjacent contact module that are present within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module, and

wherein each electrical contact of the plurality is disposed about the axial extensions of the plurality of contact modules.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein each of the electrical contacts includes an extension that is present externally of the contact modules, and wherein each pin of the feedthrough extends around the contact modules to contact a corresponding extension of the electrical contacts.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 20, wherein the header is encapsulated in a polymer.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein the plurality of adjacent contact modules are fused.

23. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein each contact isolator is a ring.

24. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein each contact isolator is made of silicone rubber.

25. The implantable medical device of claim 16, wherein each of the electrical contacts comprises flexible radial protrusions.

26. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header defining at least one lead passageway and comprising a plurality of electrical contacts with each of the electrical contacts being electrically coupled to at least one pin, each of the plurality of electrical contacts being contained within the header while having a radially floating relationship to the lead passageway.

27. The implantable medical device of claim 26, wherein the header further comprises:

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway;

a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality; and

wherein the plurality of electrical contacts are positioned within the at least one lead passageway of the adjacent contact modules, with at least one electrical contact being located axially between contact isolators.

28. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein each contact module has axial extensions spaced circumferentially on a first end, the plurality of contact modules being stacked so that an axial extension of one contact module fits into the lead passageway of an adjacent contact module,

wherein each contact isolator of the plurality is present between an abutment within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module and an end of the axial extensions of an adjacent contact module that are present within the at least one lead passageway of the corresponding contact module, and

wherein each electrical contact of the plurality is disposed about the axial extensions of the plurality of contact modules.

29. The implantable medical device of claim 28, wherein each of the electrical contacts includes an extension that is present within a first channel of the contact modules, and wherein each pin of the feedthrough is present within a second channel of the contact modules to contact a corresponding extension of the electrical contacts.

30. The implantable medical device of claim 29, wherein the header is encapsulated in a polymer.

31. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein the plurality of adjacent contact modules are fused.

32. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein each contact isolator is a ring.

33. The implantable medical device of claim 27, wherein each contact isolator is made of silicone rubber.

34. The implantable medical device of claim 26, wherein each of the electrical contacts surrounds the lead passageway and comprises flexible radial protrusions.