Side actuated lead connector assembly for implantable tissue stimulation device

• US 6,428,368 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Truex, Buehl E., Hawkins, Rodney J., Lim, Wisit
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCAMEY, ANN M
• Application Number:
  US09/817,945
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 439/909, 439/587, 439/271, 439/592, 439/836, 607/37
• US Class Current: 439/271
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/629 Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26

Abstract

A setscrewless connector assembly mounted on an implantable tissue stimulation device has an actuator mechanism for fixing, sealing and electrically isolating one or more electrical leads inserted into one or more corresponding lead receptacles within the connector assembly. Fixing and sealing of a lead are accomplished by compressing a resilient lead lock seal of O-ring shape, disposed in an annular recess, with a lip portion of a plunger drawn toward a molded support by the actuator mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, constant-force, high resolution compression of the lead lock seal by the plunger is provided by an actuator comprising a longitudinally extending shaft having a threaded end threadedly coupled to the plunger and an opposite end disposed within the molded support. A driver element, accessible from a side of the connector assembly, is coupled to the opposite end of the threaded shaft. The actuator preferably includes a transmission in which the driver element is journaled in a side wall of the molded support and includes a driver bevel gear in mesh with a driven bevel gear mounted on the opposite end of the threaded shaft. The mechanism is actuated by rotating the driver element by means of a torque limiting wrench. Actuation of the lead fixing and sealing mechanism from the side of the assembly allows insertion and removal of an electrical lead without obstruction.

Claims

1. A connector assembly for an implantable stimulation device, the connector assembly comprising:

a support having opposed sides and a longitudinally extending chamber formed therein;

a connector bore assembly coupled to and extending from the chamber in the support, the connector bore assembly being adapted to make electrical contact with a lead insertable in the chamber formed in the support;

a plunger movably coupled to the support, the plunger having a chamber aligned with the chamber in the support, the chambers in the support and in the plunger combining with the connector bore assembly to define a lead-receiving receptacle;

a locking seal disposed within the lead-receiving receptacle; and

an actuator carried by the connector assembly for selectively moving the plunger relative to the support to compress the locking seal and thereby fix a lead inserted in the lead-receiving receptacle and form a seal around said lead, the actuator comprising a longitudinally extending, rotatable threaded shaft threadedly connected to the plunger and a driver element carried by the support for rotating the threaded shaft, the driver element being accessible from one of the sides of the support.

2. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the actuator for moving the plunger is movable between a first position in which the seal engages the lead to fix the lead in place and form a seal there around and a second position in which the seal is disengaged from the lead to permit removal of the lead from the lead-receiving receptacle.

3. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 1, in which:

the threaded shaft is rotatable about a longitudinally extending axis;

the driver element has an axis of rotation;

and in which the assembly further includes;

a transmission for converting rotation of the driver element about the rotational axis thereof to rotation of the threaded shaft about its axis.

4. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 3, in which:

the longitudinal axis of the threaded shaft and the rotational axis of the driver element are perpendicular to each other; and

the transmission includes a bevel gear on the driver element in mesh with a driven bevel gear on the threaded shaft.

5. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 1, in which:

the plunger includes a longitudinally extending, internally threaded member in threaded engagement with the threaded shaft.

6. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 5, in which:

the threaded member on the plunger comprises a split retention clamp having a plurality of longitudinally extending fingers.

7. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 6, in which:

the plunger is movable by the actuator toward and away from the support;

the threaded shaft includes an outer surface and a flange projecting outwardly from said outer surface; and

each of the plurality of fingers on the retention clamp includes an inwardly projecting shoulder, the shoulders on said fingers being adapted to be engaged by said flange at an extremity of the motion of the plunger away from the support.

8. In an implantable device for stimulating selected body tissue, the device including a sealed housing enclosing pulse generating electronic circuits, a connector assembly mounted on the housing for receiving a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead and for electrically coupling the first and second leads to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:

a support having parallel, opposed sides, the support defining a first, longitudinally extending lead-receiving chamber and a second longitudinally extending lead-receiving chamber, each of said first and second chambers having a central, longitudinally extending axis, said axes being parallel with each other, said first and second chambers being adapted to receive the first lead and the second lead, respectively;

a locking seal, made of compressible material and disposed within each of the first and the second chambers, for providing a seal around each of the leads;

a plunger for compressing the locking seals around the first and second leads, thereby forming a first fluid-tight seal and a second fluid-tight seal, respectively; and

an actuator carried by the connector assembly for selectively moving the plunger relative to the support to selectively lock and unlock the first and second leads in place to thereby fix the leads inserted in the lead-receiving chambers and form seals around said leads, the actuator comprising a longitudinally extending, rotatable threaded shaft threadedly connected to the plunger, the threaded shaft having a central, longitudinally extending axis parallel with, and disposed substantially midway between, the chamber axes, the actuator further including a rotatable driver element carried by the support, the driver element being coupled to the threaded shaft for rotating the threaded shaft to thereby move the plunger, the driver element being accessible from one of the sides of the support.

9. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the actuator for moving the plunger is movable between a first position in which each seal engages the lead associated with that seal to fix the lead in place and form a seal there around, and a second position in which each seal is disengaged from the lead associated with that seal to permit removal of the lead from connector assembly.

10. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 8, in which:

the driver element has an axis of rotation;

and in which the assembly further includes;

a transmission for converting rotation of the driver element about the rotational axis thereof to rotation of the threaded shaft about its axis.

11. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 10, in which:

the longitudinal axis of the threaded shaft and the rotational axis of the driver element are perpendicular to each other; and

the transmission includes a bevel gear on the driver element in mesh with a driven bevel gear on the threaded shaft.

12. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 8, in which:

the plunger includes a longitudinally extending, internally threaded member in threaded engagement with the threaded shaft.

13. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 12, in which:

the threaded member on the plunger comprises a split retention clamp having a plurality of longitudinally extending fingers.

14. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 13, in which:

the plunger is movable by the actuator toward and away from the support;

the threaded shaft includes an outer surface and a flange projecting outwardly from said outer surface; and

each of the plurality of fingers on the retention clamp includes an inwardly projecting shoulder, the shoulders on said fingers being adapted to be engaged by said flange at an extremity of the motion of the plunger away from the support.

15. In an implantable device for stimulating selected body tissue, the device including a sealed housing enclosing pulse generating electronic circuits, a connector assembly mounted on the housing for receiving multiple electrical leads and for electrically coupling the multiple leads to the electronic circuits within the sealed housing, the connector assembly comprising:

a support having parallel, opposed sides, the support defining multiple, longitudinally extending lead-receiving chambers, each of said multiple chambers having a central, longitudinally extending axis, said axes being parallel with each other, each of said multiple chambers being adapted to receive an electrical lead;

a locking seal, made of compressible material and disposed within each of the multiple chambers, for providing a seal around each of the leads;

a plunger for compressing the locking seals around the leads, thereby forming a fluid-tight seal around each lead; and

an actuator carried by the connector assembly for selectively moving the plunger relative to the support to selectively lock and unlock the multiple leads in place to thereby fix the electrical leads inserted in the lead-receiving chambers and form seals around said leads, the actuator comprising a longitudinally extending, rotatable threaded shaft threadedly connected to the plunger, the threaded shaft having a central, longitudinally extending axis parallel with the chamber axes, the chamber axes being symmetrically disposed about the axis of the threaded shaft, the actuator further including a rotatable driver element carried by the support, the driver element being coupled to the threaded shaft for rotating the threaded shaft and thereby moving the plunger, the driver element being accessible from one of the sides of the support.

16. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the actuator for moving the plunger is movable between a first position in which each seal engages the lead associated with that seal to fix the lead in place and form a seal there around, and a second position in which each seal is disengaged from the lead associated with that seal to permit removal of the lead from connector assembly.

17. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 15, in which:

the driver element has an axis of rotation;

and in which the assembly further includes;

a transmission for converting rotation of the driver element about the rotational axis thereof to rotation of the threaded shaft about its axis.

18. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 17, in which:

the longitudinal axis of the threaded shaft and the rotational axis of the driver element are perpendicular to each other; and

the transmission includes a bevel gear on the driver element in mesh with a driven bevel gear on the threaded shaft.

19. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 15 in which:

the plunger includes a longitudinally extending, internally threaded member in threaded engagement with the threaded shaft.

20. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 19, in which:

the threaded member on the plunger comprises a split retention clamp having a plurality of longitudinally extending fingers.

21. The connector assembly, as defined in claim 20, in which:

the plunger is movable by the actuator toward and away from the support;

the threaded shaft includes an outer surface and a flange projecting outwardly from said outer surface; and

each of the plurality of fingers on the retention clamp includes an inwardly projecting shoulder, the shoulders on said fingers being adapted to be engaged by said flange at an extremity of the motion of the plunger away from the support.