Electrode-lead coupling skull mounted port assembly

• US 6,324,433 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electrocore Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Electrocore Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Errico, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/488,997
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 600/386, 600/378, 607/149, 607/139, 607/116, 604/175
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0539 Anchoring of brain electrode systems, e.g. within burr hole

Abstract

An assembly for securing an electrode lead within a burr hole formed in a patient'"'"'s skull and couples it to a coupling lead which extends to a remote signal generator. The securing assembly has three separate components. The first is a bone port which seats within a preformed burr hole in the skull. The bone port is a cylindrical shaped short tube with central axial hole having electrical contacts formed on the inner surface. These electrical contacts are connected to corresponding contacts in a circumferential groove formed in the upper surface of the port for receiving the proximal end of the stimulation electrode. The second component is a docking element which seats in the port. The docking element has corresponding electrical contacts on the exterior surface thereof, which connect to terminal pads in an axial bore formed therein. The coupling lead is inserted into the bore and is thereby connected to the stimulation electrode by virtue of the contacts made between the port and the docking element. A cap element seats over the port and docking elements, holding them together and securing the stimulation electrode in the assembly.

Claims

1. An electrode securing and electrical coupling assembly for securing a deep brain electrode lead to a skull of a patient and coupling said lead to a remote signal generator via a coupling lead;

comprising;

a cap element having an axial opening formed therein;

a cylindrical port element for seating in a hole formed in said skull of said patient, said port element including and upper end and a lower end, said port element further including

a central opening providing communication between an interior of said skull and an exterior of said skull, said opening being wider than the opening in said cap element,

an annular lip formed at the upper end, said annular lip including a circumferential groove for receiving therein an end of a deep brain stimulation electrode having at least one electrical terminal, said circumferential groove including at least one electrical terminal pad corresponding to at least one electrical terminal of said electrode,

an axial recess formed in a sidewall of said opening for securing said electrode therein,

at least one spline, said at least one spline having at least one individual contact pad, each contact pad being individually electrically connected via conduits in the sidewall of said port to said electrical terminal pads in said circumferential groove, and

means on said lip for coupling to said cap element; and

a docking element having

at least one axial recess formed in the top thereof for receiving therein an end of said coupling lead, said recess including at least one electrical contact surface for engaging terminals formed on said tip of said coupling lead,

at least one spline corresponding to and when fully assembled in electrical contact with the at least one spline of said port element, said at least one electrical contact surface of said recess in said docking element being in individually electrical communication with the at least spline said docking element, such that the coupling lead is in electrical communication with said deep brain stimulation electrode,

means for securing said coupling lead in said recess in said docking element.

2. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cap element and said lip of said port element include an engaging ratchet and latch mechanism whereby said cap seats securely in said port element.

3. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cap element includes a circumferential groove formed on an undersurface thereof, said circumferential groove corresponding to the circumferential groove in said lip portion of said port element, the association of which when the cap is placed on the port element causes the tip of the deep brain stimulation electrode to be secured in said groove.

4. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said docking element includes an axial groove which corresponds to the axial recess formed in the sidewall of the port element such that the association of the docking element and the port element serves to lock the deep brain stimulation electrode therein.

5. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said at least one electrical terminal on said deep brain stimulation electrode comprises four spaced apart terminals and

said at least one electrical terminal pad in said circumferential groove in said port member comprises a plurality of terminal pads, each being correspondingly electrically spaced from one another.

6. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said at least one spline on said port member and said at least one corresponding spline on said docking member each comprise a single spline, each spline including four corresponding spaced apart contact pads which align with one another when the docking element is fully inserted into the port element.

7. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 5, wherein said at least one spline on said port member and said at least one corresponding spline on said docking member each comprises four splines, each of which includes a single contact pad, corresponding pairs of which align with one another when the docking element is fully inserted into the port element.

8. The electrode securing assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein said at least one terminal surface in said axial recess in said docking element comprises a plurality of terminal surfaces corresponding to the number of terminals on said coupling lead.