Feedthrough connector for implantable cardiac pacer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A feedthrough connector for an implantable electronic cardiac pacer mounted within a housing, said connector comprising:
- a header adapted to form the cover of the housing of said pacer, said header having an opening therethrough;
a compliant ring secured to said header in said opening;
an electrically insulative cylinder having one end mounted within said ring;
a terminal block mounted to the other end of said insulative cylinder, the external surface of said terminal block having a thin-walled compliant cylindrical extension closely surrounding said other end of said insulative cylinder, said terminal block having an annular bottom surface within said compliant cylindrical extension spaced from the top of said insulative cylinder to facilitate compliant action between said thin-walled extension and said insulative cylinder, said terminal block being formed with a blind threaded bore opening into one surface thereof, and a hole diametrically intersecting said threaded bore, said hole being adapted to receive an uninsulated end of a heart lead; and
a screw having threads mating with said threaded bore, said screw being adapted to secure the heart lead in said hole;
said thin-walled cylindrical extension being brazed and shrunk onto said insulative cylinder, said ring being brazed to said one end of said insulative cylinder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A feedthrough connector for use on an implantable electronic cardiac pacer. A single structure provides a means for connecting a heart lead to the pacer and feedthrough into the body of the pacer. The feedthrough may include filtering means to protect against external interferences. The entire structure has provisions for physical compliance to absorb stresses due to different heat coefficients and as may be caused during assembly and use. Also disclosed is a method for making the feedthrough connector.
216 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A feedthrough connector for an implantable electronic cardiac pacer mounted within a housing, said connector comprising:
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a header adapted to form the cover of the housing of said pacer, said header having an opening therethrough; a compliant ring secured to said header in said opening; an electrically insulative cylinder having one end mounted within said ring; a terminal block mounted to the other end of said insulative cylinder, the external surface of said terminal block having a thin-walled compliant cylindrical extension closely surrounding said other end of said insulative cylinder, said terminal block having an annular bottom surface within said compliant cylindrical extension spaced from the top of said insulative cylinder to facilitate compliant action between said thin-walled extension and said insulative cylinder, said terminal block being formed with a blind threaded bore opening into one surface thereof, and a hole diametrically intersecting said threaded bore, said hole being adapted to receive an uninsulated end of a heart lead; and a screw having threads mating with said threaded bore, said screw being adapted to secure the heart lead in said hole; said thin-walled cylindrical extension being brazed and shrunk onto said insulative cylinder, said ring being brazed to said one end of said insulative cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for forming a feedthrough connector for an implantable electronic cardiac pacer mounted within a housing, said method comprising the steps of:
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metalizing a first cylindrical surface adjacent one end of an insulative cylinder; placing a terminal block on top of said one end of said insulative cylinder, said terminal block having a thin-walled cylindrical extension closely surrounding said first metalized surface of said insulative cylinder; placing a first ring of braze material in contact with said first metalized surface and with said cylindrical extension; heating the assembly thus formed to melt said braze material and expand said cylindrical extension, said braze material flowing between said cylindrical extension and said first metalized surface, thereby effectively enlarging the diameter of said metalized surface; and
thencooling said assembly, said braze material solidifying before said cylindrical extension thermally contracts to its normal size, whereby said cylindrical extension contracts upon a surface of greater diameter than the initial metalized cylindrical surface, forming a shrink fit and thereby closely confining said one end of said insulative cylinder within said thin-walled cylindrical extension. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A feedthrough connector for an implantable electronic cardiac pacer mounted within a housing, said connector comprising:
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a header adapted to form the cover of the housing of said pacer, said header having an opening therethrough; a compliant ring secured to said header in said opening; an electrically insulative cylinder having one end mounted within said ring, the base surfaces of said header, said ring and said cylinder lying in a common plane; a terminal block mounted to the other end of said insulative cylinder, the external surface of said terminal block having a thin-walled compliant cylindrical extension closely surrounding said other end of said insulative cylinder, an annular portion of the bottom of said terminal block within said cylindrical extension being spaced from the top of said insulative cylinder to facilitate compliant action between said thin-walled extension and said insulative cylinder, said terminal block being formed with a blind threaded bore opening into one surface thereof, and a diametrical hole intersecting said threaded bore, said diametrical hole being adapted to receive an uninsulated end of a heart lead; and a screw having threads mating with said threaded bore, said screw being adapted to secure said heart lead in said diametrical hole; said thin-walled cylindrical extension being brazed and shrunk onto said insulative cylinder, said ring being brazed to said one end of said insulative cylinder. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification