Setscrewless connector assembly for implantable medical devices
First Claim
1. A connector assembly for an implantable medical device comprising:
- a support having a pair of apertures therein;
a pair of connector bore assemblies coupled to and extending from the apertures in the support and adapted to make electrical contact with leads inserted therein;
a plunger movably coupled to the support and having a pair of apertures therein aligned with the apertures in the support, the pair of apertures in the support and the pair of apertures in the plunger combining with the pair of connector bore assemblies to define a pair of lead-receiving bores;
a pair of locking seals disposed within the lead-receiving bores; and
means for selectively moving the plunger relative to the support to compress the locking seals and thereby fix and form seals around leads disposed in the lead-receiving bores.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connector assembly mounted on an implantable cardiac stimulation device has an actuator mechanism for fixing and sealing electrical leads inserted into lead receptacles within the connector assembly without the use of setscrews. Fixing and sealing of the leads is accomplished by compressing resilient lead lock seals of O-ring shape, disposed in annular recesses, with lip portions of a plunger drawn toward the molded support by the actuator mechanism. In a first embodiment of the actuator mechanism, rotation of a cam actuator transversely journaled within the support, using a torque wrench or similar tool, moves a cam slide attached to the plunger through a fixed displacement between lock and unlock positions as an offset camming portion of the actuator engages the surfaces of a slot within the cam slide. In a second embodiment, constant-force compression of the lead lock seals by the plunger is provided by using a torque wrench to rotate a screw actuator having one end coupled to the plunger and an opposite threaded end received within a screw block transversely disposed within the support. In a third embodiment, a rotatable toothed pinion engages a toothed slot within a slidable rack to provide incremental advancement of the rack, and thereby stepped displacement and force, with a resulting increased resolution. In a fourth embodiment, compliance provided by either a spring formed within the cam slide, or a spring nut mounted thereon, prevents excessive force from being exerted on leads of larger diameter.
86 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A connector assembly for an implantable medical device comprising:
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a support having a pair of apertures therein; a pair of connector bore assemblies coupled to and extending from the apertures in the support and adapted to make electrical contact with leads inserted therein; a plunger movably coupled to the support and having a pair of apertures therein aligned with the apertures in the support, the pair of apertures in the support and the pair of apertures in the plunger combining with the pair of connector bore assemblies to define a pair of lead-receiving bores; a pair of locking seals disposed within the lead-receiving bores; and means for selectively moving the plunger relative to the support to compress the locking seals and thereby fix and form seals around leads disposed in the lead-receiving bores. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In an implantable medical device having electronic circuits within a sealed housing, a connector assembly disposed at the outside of the housing for receiving a first and second lead and for electrically coupling the first and second lead to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:
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a main body having a first and second receptacle adapted to receive the first and second leads; sealing means, made of compressable material and disposed within the first and second receptacles, for providing a seal around each of the first and second leads; compressing means for compressing the sealing means around the first and second leads, thereby forming a first and a second fluid-tight seal, respectively; and actuating means, coupled to the compressing means, for selectively locking and unlocking the first and second leads in place. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. In an implantable medical device having electronic circuits within a sealed housing, a connector assembly disposed at the outside of the housing for receiving a lead and for electrically coupling the lead to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:
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a main body having a receptacle adapted to receive the lead; sealing means, made of compressable material and disposed within the receptacle, for sealing around the lead; compressing means, dimensioned to mate with the main body, for compressing the sealing means around the lead; and actuation means for selectively locking and unlocking the lead in place, the actuation means including a slide coupled to the compressing means and an offset cam rotatably coupled to the slide, wherein the offset cam causes the slide to exert a force between the compressing means and the main body so that the sealing means is compressed against the lead to form a fluid-tight seal. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. In an implantable medical device having electronic circuits within a sealed housing, a connector assembly disposed at the outside of the housing for receiving a lead and for electrically coupling the lead to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:
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a main body having a receptacle, adapted to receive the lead, and a threaded recess adjacent the receptacle; sealing means, made of compressable material and disposed within the receptacle, for sealing around the lead; compressing means, dimensioned to mate with the main body, for compressing the sealing means around the lead; and actuating means for selectively locking and unlocking the lead in place, the actuating means including a screw for engagement within the threaded recess and advancable and retractable therein, wherein the screw, when advanced, exerts a force between the compression means and the main body so that the sealing means is compressed against the lead to form a fluid-tight seal.
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27. In an implantable medical device having electronic circuits within a sealed housing, a connector assembly disposed at the outside of the housing for receiving a lead and for electrically coupling the lead to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:
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a main body having a receptacle adapted to receive the lead; sealing means, made of compressable material and disposed within the receptacle, for sealing around the lead; compressing means, dimensioned to mate with the main body, for compressing the sealing means around the lead; and actuating means for selectively locking and unlocking the lead in place, the actuating means including a rack and pinion assembly, coupled to the compression means, which exerts a force between the compression means and the main body so that the sealing means is compressed against the lead to form a fluid-tight seal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. In an implantable medical device having electronic circuits within a sealed housing, a connector assembly disposed at the outside of the housing for receiving a lead and for electrically coupling the lead to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:
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a main body having a receptacle adapted to receive the lead; sealing means, made of compressable material and disposed within the receptacle, for sealing around the lead; compressing means, dimensioned to mate with the main body, for compressing the sealing means around the lead; and actuating means, coupled to the compressing means, for selectively locking and unlocking the lead in place using a variable amount of displacement to accommodate a desired lead having a desired lead diameter; whereby a substantially uniform force is exerted on the sealing means independent of lead diameter. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A connector assembly for releasably fixing and sealing a lead for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a support having a receptacle and a bore assembly for receiving the lead, the bore assembly having at least one contact therein for making electrical contact with the lead when a lead is seated therein; an annular seal of deformable material seated in the receptacle; a plunger, coupled to the support, having means for compressing the annular seal, the plunger chamber combining with the support chamber and the bore assembly to form the lead receptacle; and a cam slide, coupled to the plunger, and a cam actuator rotatably coupled to the cam slide, the cam actuator translating a rotational force to a longitudinal force onto the plunger to thereby force the plunger against the main body which selectively compresses the annular seal against the outside of a lead to thereby fix in place and seal around the lead. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A connector assembly for releasably fixing and sealing a lead for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a support having a receptacle and a bore assembly for receiving the lead, the bore assembly having at least one contact therein for making electrical contact with the lead when a lead is seated therein, the support having a threaded screw block within a first aperture; an annular seal of deformable material seated in the receptacle; a plunger, coupled to the support, having means for compressing the annular seal, the plunger chamber combining with the support chamber and the bore assembly to form the lead receptacle, the plunger having a second aperture aligned with the first aperture of the support; and a screw, rotatably disposed within the first and second apertures, having a threaded portion at a first end for connection with the screw block and an enlarged driver at a second end, wherein the enlarged driver, when rotated, selectively compresses the annular seal against the outside of a lead to thereby fix in place and seal around the lead. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A connector assembly for releasably fixing and sealing a lead for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a support having a receptical and a bore assembly for receiving the lead, the bore assembly having at least one contact therein for making electrical contact with the lead when a lead is seated therein; an annular seal of deformable material seated in the receptical; a plunger, coupled to the support, having means for compressing the annular seal, the plunger chamber combining with the support chamber and the bore assembly to form the lead receptacle; an elongated slide, coupled to the plunger and slidably disposed within the support, having a rack with a toothed slot therein; and a pinion, rotatably disposed within the toothed slot, wherein the pinion, when rotated, selectively compresses the annular seal against the outside of a lead to thereby fix in place and seal around the lead.
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Specification