CONNECTOR AND CONTACT ASSEMBLIES FOR MEDICAL DEVICES
First Claim
1. A contact assembly for a connector assembly of a medical device, the contact assembly comprising:
- a mounting member including a sidewall, the sidewall including an outer surface, an inner surface and a plurality of channels that are formed within the sidewall, between the inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface defining a connector bore that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member, and each channel of the plurality of channels including an entryway a terminal surface and an opening, the entryway being located at the outer surface of the sidewall, and the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface, at the inner surface of the sidewall;
a plurality of resilient contact members, each of the plurality of contact members extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and including a contact surface, the contact surface of each contact member being located between the first and second terminal ends thereof, and each contact member being mounted in a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, such that the first terminal end of each contact member abuts the terminal surface of the corresponding channel, the second terminal end of each contact member is located within the corresponding channel, adjacent to the entryway thereof, and the contact surface of each contact member is exposed, through the opening of the corresponding channel, within the connector bore, for electrical coupling with a conductive surface of an elongate medical electrical lead connector that is inserted into the connector bore, along the longitudinal axis thereof; and
a plurality of plug members, each plug of the plurality of plug members being fixed within the entryway of a corresponding channel, of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, and being electrically coupled to the sidewall of the mounting member and to the second terminal end of a corresponding contact member of the plurality of resilient contact members.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A contact assembly, which may be included in a connector assembly for a connector module of a medical device, includes one or more resilient contact members; each contact member may comprise a coiled wire having a first stiffness and a second stiffness. The assembly may further include a plug member associated with each contact member. Each contact member may be mounted in the assembly via insertion into a corresponding channel of a mounting member, such that a first terminal end of the contact member abuts a terminal surface of the channel. If included, the plug member makes electrical contact with a second terminal end of the inserted contact member, and is coupled to the mounting member. A contact surface of the mounted contact member is exposed within a connector bore of the mounting member, through an opening in the channel.
32 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A contact assembly for a connector assembly of a medical device, the contact assembly comprising:
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a mounting member including a sidewall, the sidewall including an outer surface, an inner surface and a plurality of channels that are formed within the sidewall, between the inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface defining a connector bore that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member, and each channel of the plurality of channels including an entryway a terminal surface and an opening, the entryway being located at the outer surface of the sidewall, and the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface, at the inner surface of the sidewall; a plurality of resilient contact members, each of the plurality of contact members extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and including a contact surface, the contact surface of each contact member being located between the first and second terminal ends thereof, and each contact member being mounted in a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, such that the first terminal end of each contact member abuts the terminal surface of the corresponding channel, the second terminal end of each contact member is located within the corresponding channel, adjacent to the entryway thereof, and the contact surface of each contact member is exposed, through the opening of the corresponding channel, within the connector bore, for electrical coupling with a conductive surface of an elongate medical electrical lead connector that is inserted into the connector bore, along the longitudinal axis thereof; and a plurality of plug members, each plug of the plurality of plug members being fixed within the entryway of a corresponding channel, of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, and being electrically coupled to the sidewall of the mounting member and to the second terminal end of a corresponding contact member of the plurality of resilient contact members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A connector assembly for a connector module of a medical device, the connector assembly comprising the contact assembly, the contact assembly comprising:
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a mounting member including sidewall the sidewall including an outer surface, an inner surface and a plurality of channels that are formed within the sidewall, between the inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface defining a connector bore that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member, and each channel of the plurality of channels including an entryway a terminal surface and an opening, the entryway being located at the outer surface of the sidewall, and the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface, at the inner surface of the sidewall; a plurality of resilient contact members, each of the plurality of contact members extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and including a contact surface, the contact surface of each contact member being located between the first and second terminal ends thereof, and each contact member being mounted in a corresponding channel of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, such that the first terminal end of each contact member abuts the terminal surface of the corresponding channel, the second terminal end of each contact member is located within the corresponding channel, adjacent to the entryway thereof, and the contact surface of each contact member is exposed, through the opening of the corresponding channel, within the connector bore, for electrical coupling with a conductive surface of elongate medical electrical lead connector that is inserted into the connector bore, along the longitudinal axis thereof; and a plurality of plug members, each plug of the plurality of plug members being fixed within the entryway of a corresponding channel, of the plurality of channels of the mounting member, and being electrically coupled to the sidewall of the mounting member and to the second terminal end of a corresponding contact member of the plurality of resilient contact members, wherein the inner surface of the sidewall of the mounting member further defines one or two counter bores, each counter bore extending from a corresponding end of the connector bore and; first and second seal members;
wherein the inner surface of the sidewall of the mounting member defines two counter bores, the first seal member interlocks with the sidewall of the mounting member in proximity to a first of the two counter bores; and
the second seal member interlocks with the sidewall of the mounting member in proximity to a second of the two counter bores.
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16. (canceled)
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17. A contact assembly for a connector assembly of a medical device, the contact assembly comprising:
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a mounting member including a sidewall, the sidewall including an outer surface, an inner surface and a channel formed within the sidewall, between the inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface defining a connector bore that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member, and the channel including an entryway a terminal surface and an opening, the entryway being located at the outer surface of the sidewall, and the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface, at the inner surface of the sidewall; and a resilient contact member extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and including a contact surface, the contact surface being located between the first and second terminal ends, and the contact member being mounted in the channel of the mounting member, such that the first terminal end of the contact member abuts the terminal surface of the channel and the contact surface of the contact member is exposed, through the opening of the corresponding channel, within the connector bore, for electrical coupling with a conductive surface of an elongate medical electrical lead connector that is inserted into the connector bore, along the longitudinal axis thereof; wherein the contact member comprises a coiled wire and an outer surface of the coiled wire comprises the contact surface of the contact member; and the coiled wire has a first stiffness, in proximity to each of the first and second terminal ends of the contact member, and second stiffness along the contact surface, the first stiffness being greater than the second stiffness. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for making a contact assembly for a connector assembly of a medical device, the method comprising:
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passing a first terminal end of a resilient contact member into an entryway of a channel and through the channel until the first terminal end abuts a terminal surface of the channel, the channel being formed in a sidewall of a mounting member, the sidewall including an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a bore of the mounting member, and the channel extending from the entryway thereof, located at the outer surface of the sidewall, to the terminal surface thereof, located within the sidewall, the channel including an opening into the bore of the mounting member, the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface; and coupling a plug member to the mounting member in proximity to the entryway of the channel, the plug member making electrical contact with a second terminal end of the contact member, the second terminal end being opposite the first terminal end of the contact member. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A contact assembly for a connector assembly of a medical device, the contact assembly comprising:
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a mounting member including a sidewall, the sidewall including an outer surface, an inner surface and three channels that are formed within the sidewall, between the inner and outer surfaces, the inner surface defining a connector bore that extends along a longitudinal axis of the mounting member, and each channel including an entryway a terminal surface and an opening, the entryway being located at the outer surface of the sidewall, and the opening being located between the entryway and the terminal surface, at the inner surface of the sidewall; and three resilient contact members each formed by a coiled wire, each contact member extending from a first terminal end to a second terminal end and including a contact surface defined by an outer surface of the corresponding coiled wire between the first and second terminal ends thereof, and each contact member being mounted in a corresponding channel of the three channels of the mounting member, such that the first terminal end of each contact member abuts the terminal surface of the corresponding channel, the second terminal end of each contact member is located within the corresponding channel, adjacent to the entryway thereof, and the contact surface of each contact member is exposed, through the opening of the corresponding channel, within the connector bore, for electrical coupling with a conductive surface of an elongate medical electrical lead connector that is inserted into the connector bore, along the longitudinal axis thereof; and wherein each channel of the mounting member is oriented to surround a perimeter of the connector bore in a footprint of an equilateral triangle; and the openings of the first, second and third channels are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal axis of the mounting member. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification