CONTACT BLOCK USING SPHERICAL ELECTRICAL CONTACTS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONTACTING IMPLANTABLE LEADS

• US 20130197603A1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: EIGER, Jay H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,586 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/02 Contact members
• 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 2201/12 for medicine and surgery

Abstract

A contact block for electrically connecting a medical device to a conductive pin using improved electrical contact components. More specifically, an electrical contact block for achieving electrical contact with a conductive portion of an in-line IPG pin by utilizing a plurality of spherical conductive contact structures arranged in a ring around the conductive portion of the pin and biased toward the pin and held in place using a compliant o-ring.

Claims

1. A contact block for a medical device comprising:

a first component having a first interior portion and a first hole;

a second component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin;

at least one conductive contact provided within said interior space in a manner for contacting said pin; and

a biasing component provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive contacts toward said axis for ensuring electrical contact between each of said conductive contacts and a conductive portion of said pin.

2. The contact block of claim 1, wherein said biasing component is an o-ring comprised of a compliant material.

3. The contact block of claim 2, wherein said compliant material is a natural or synthetic rubber.

4. The contact block of claim 1, wherein said first interior portion is a first groove, and wherein said second interior portion is a second groove, with said second groove being larger than said first groove, said second groove for receiving said biasing component.

5. The contact block of claim 1, further comprising a structure for connecting to an electrical lead via an electrical weld.

6. A contact assembly for an implantable medical device comprising a plurality of the contact blocks of claim 1 organized in a series of rows and columns for utilizing a number of said pins each having a number of conductive portions such that the number of said pins is supported by the number of columns and wherein the number of conductive portions on each of said pins is supported by the number of rows.

7. The contact block of claim 1, wherein said first component and said second component are comprised of a conductive material.

8. The contact block of claim 7, wherein said conductive material includes MP35N.

9. A contact block for a medical device comprising:

a first component having a first interior portion and a first hole;

a second component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin; and

a plurality of conductive contacts provided within said interior space around said axis in a manner for encircling said pin for contacting said pin.

10. The contact block of claim 9, wherein each one of said conductive contacts is a conductive sphere.

11. The contact block of claim 9, further comprising a biasing component provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive contacts toward said axis for ensuring electrical contact between each of said conductive contacts and a conductive portion of said pin.

12. The contact block of claim 11, wherein said biasing component is an o-ring comprised of a compliant material.

13. The contact block of claim 9, wherein said conductive contacts are sealed within said electrical component in a manner that prevents said conductive contacts from exiting said electrical component during use or assembly into a device.

14. The contact block of claim 9, wherein said first interior portion is a first groove, and wherein said second interior portion is a second groove, with said second groove being larger than said first groove, said second groove for receiving said biasing component.

15. An contact block for a medical device comprising:

a first component having a first interior portion and a first hole;

a second component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin;

a plurality of conductive contacts provided within said interior space in a manner for encircling said pin; and

a biasing component provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive contacts toward said axis for ensuring electrical contact between each of said conductive contacts and a conductive portion of said pin.

16. The contact block of claim 15, wherein said first interior portion is a first groove, and wherein said second interior portion is a second groove, with said second groove being larger than said first groove, said second groove for receiving said biasing component.

17. The contact block of claim 15, wherein said conductive contacts are sealed within said electrical component in a manner that prevents said conductive contacts from exiting said electrical component during use or assembly into a device.

18. A contact block for a medical device comprising:

a first conductive component having a first interior portion and a first hole;

a second conductive component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin;

a plurality of conductive spheres provided within said interior space in a manner for encircling said pin; and

an o-ring comprised of a compliant material that is provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive spheres toward said axis for ensuring contact with a conductive ring of said pin.

19. The contact block of claim 18, wherein the conductive spheres are chosen to be about 0.02 inches in diameter.

20. The contact block of claim 19, wherein the o-ring is comprised of an implantable grade of silicone rubber with a thickness of between about 0.01 to 0.013 inches and an inside diameter of about 0.085 inches.

21. The contact block of claim 18, wherein the o-ring is comprised of an implantable grade of silicone rubber with a thickness of between about 0.01 to 0.013 inches and an inside diameter of about 0.085 inches.

22. A contact block for a medical device comprising:

a first conductive component comprised of MP35N and having a first interior portion and a first hole;

a second conductive component comprised of MP35N and having a second interior portion larger than said first interior portion and having a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin of about 0.055 inches in diameter;

a plurality of conductive spheres comprised of a conductive, low-corrosive metal and each being about 0.02 inches in diameter provided within said interior space in a manner for encircling the entire circumference of said pin; and

an o-ring comprised of a compliant material that is provided within said interior space in at said second interior portion for biasing each of said conductive spheres toward said axis for ensuring contact with a conductive ring of said pin.

23. A contact assembly for an implantable medical device comprising:

a first stacker component forming an first interior open portion, said first stacker component having a first contact block receiving portion;

a compliant insulating seal having a seal bore therethrough and being provided within the first interior open portion of said first stacker component;

a contact block including;

a first conductive component having a first interior portion and a first hole,

a second conductive component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin,

a plurality of conductive contacts provided within said interior space in a manner for encircling said pin, and

a biasing component provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive contacts toward said common axis for ensuring contact between each of said conductive contacts and a portion of said pin;

and

a second stacker component having a second contact block receiving portion and a second bore;

wherein

said contact assembly is arranged for receiving the pin through said first stacker component, through the bore of said seal, through the contact block bore, and into the bore of said stacker second component, such that a conductive portion of said pin is provided in electrical contact with said conductive contacts when said pin is seated in said contact assembly.

24. The contact assembly of claim 23, wherein said second stacker component also has a first interior portion for receiving another seal, and wherein said second stacker component also has a first contact block receiving portion for receiving another contact block.

25. The electrical component of claim 23, wherein each one of said conductive contacts is a conductive sphere.

26. The electrical contact block of claim 25, wherein said biasing component is an o-ring comprised of a compliant material.

27. The electrical contact block of claim 23, wherein said biasing component is an o-ring comprised of a compliant material.

28. A stimulation system having at least 24 stimulation channels for stimulating at least one stimulation region of a patient, said system comprising:

an implantable pulse generation device (IPG) adapted to be implanted in the patient, said IPG including;

a storage device,

a pulse generation circuit adapted for providing the at least 24 stimulation channels,

a contact assembly for connecting said pulse generation circuit to a plurality of pins, each one of said pins having a plurality of contact surfaces, each of said contact surfaces for electrically connecting to at least one of a plurality of electrodes, said contact assembly comprising;

a plurality of conductive contact devices each adapted for electrically contacting one of the contact surfaces of one of the plurality of pins, and

a plurality of at least 24 contact blocks each including;

a first conductive component having a first interior portion and a first hole,

a second conductive component having a second interior portion and a second hole, wherein, said first interior portion and said second interior portion are arranged to form an interior space of said contact block, and wherein said first hole and said second hole form a contact block bore having an axis and of a size that is adapted for receiving a pin,

a plurality of conductive spheres provided within said interior space in a manner for encircling the received pin, and

a o-ring comprised of a compliant material that is provided within said interior space for biasing each of said conductive spheres toward said common axis for electrically contacting one of the contact surfaces of the received pin, wherein

said conductive contact blocks are arranged into a series of rows such that each one of said rows has an equal number of contact blocks arranged side-by-side, and wherein

said contact blocks are arranged such that each one of the contact blocks of one row are arranged with a corresponding one of the contact blocks of a subsequent and/or previous row to form a plurality of columns of contact blocks such that the contact block bores of the contact blocks of any given column are axially aligned to receive one of the plurality of pins;

and

a plurality of at least 24 connectors for connecting each one of said contact blocks to a corresponding connection on said IPG.

29. A method of providing stimulation therapy to a patient using the system of claim 28.

30. A method of providing stimulation therapy to a patient using a stimulation system having at least 24 stimulation channels, said method comprising:

implanting an implantable pulse generation device (IPG) in the patient, said IPG including;

a storage device,

a pulse generation circuit providing the at least 24 stimulation channels, and

a contact assembly for connecting said pulse generation circuit to a plurality of pins, each one of said pins having a plurality of contact surfaces, each of said contact surfaces for electrically connecting to a plurality of electrodes, said contact assembly comprising;

a plurality of at least 24 contact blocks, each one of said contact blocks having an interior open portion adapted for receiving a plurality of spherical conductive contact devices in electrical contact therewith, said plurality of spherical conductive contact devices arranged in a circle for contacting a corresponding one of the contact surfaces of one of said pins, wherein

said contact blocks are arranged into a series of rows such that each one of said rows has an equal number of contact blocks arranged side-by-side, and wherein

said contact blocks are arranged such that each one of the contact blocks of one row are arranged with a corresponding one of the contact blocks of a subsequent and/or previous row to form a plurality of columns of contact blocks such that the interior open portions of the contact blocks of any given column are axially aligned to receive one of the plurality of pins;

using said IPG to provide electrical stimulation to the stimulation region of the patient via one or more of said electrodes.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said plurality of spherical conductive contact devices are biased toward said corresponding one of the contact surfaces of one of said pins by a compliant o-ring.

32. The system for providing the stimulation therapy of claim 30.