Electrical connector for multi-contact medical electrodes

• US 6,671,534 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AD-Tech Medical Instrument Corp.
• Original Assignee: AD-Tech Medical Instrument Corp.
• Inventors: Putz, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEFFLEY, MICHAEL F
• Application Number:
  US10/051,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20020095079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 600/378, 600/373-381, 607/37, 607/38, 607/115, 607/116, 607/119, 607/122, 439/138, 439/142, 439/144, 439/798, 439/885, 439/909
• US Class Current: 600/378
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

An electrical connector for multi-contact medical electrodes with plural-contact tails, including a tail-receiving member having a tail-receiving void defining an internal surface and an array of electrical conductors, preferably spring-loaded ball plungers, positioned along the internal surface. A locking mechanism is positioned within the tail-receiving member and can be moved from an open position in which a tail received within the void can be removed from the void, to a locked position in which the locking mechanism prevents removal of the tail. Some preferred embodiments include the locking mechanism being positioned adjacent the void opposite the conductors and extending into the void when in the locked position; the locking mechanism being a cam shaft and cam arrangement which allows for locking by rotation of the cam shaft; and the plural contacts being sleeves with necked-in ends to allow non-destructive withdrawal of the tail in the unlocked position.

Claims

1. In an electrical connector for in-body multi-contact medical electrodes with linear-array plural-contact tails, having a tail-receiving member and means for connection of all contacts, the improvement comprising:

the tail-receiving member having an elongate void for receiving the tail, the void defining an internal surface;

a locked position within the tail-receiving member and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the lock engages the tail and prevents the tail from being removed from the tail-receiving member, and

an array of electrical conductors positioned along the internal surface, the conductors being biased toward the void to facilitate electrical engagement with the plural contacts of the tail, the conductors being positioned opposite the lock such that the tail is compressed between the conductors and the lock when the lock is in the locked position.

2. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the lock engages the tail within the void.

3. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the lock is positioned within the tail-receiving member adjacent to the void.

4. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the lock forces the tail against the internal surface when the lock is in the locked position.

5. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the plural contacts of the tail are annular sleeves having necked-in ends, thereby allowing quick withdrawal of the plural-contact tail from the connector when in the unlocked position.

6. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the tail-receiving member has proximal and distal ends and the void extends from an opening at the proximal end to a stop near the distal end.

7. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein at the unlocked position the electrical conductors are just beyond center with respect to the plural contacts of the tail, thereby providing reliable electrical contact.

8. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a rod and cams, the cams being positioned in alignment with the conductors, whereby the rod is movable in the tail-receiving member between the unlocked and locked positions so that in the unlocked position the cams do not extend into the void and in the locked position the rod forces the cams to extend into the void to force the contacts against the conductors.

9. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 1 wherein the lock comprises a cam shaft and cams, the cams being positioned in alignment with the conductors, whereby the cam shaft is rotatable between the unlocked and locked positions so that in the unlocked position the cams do not extend into the void and in the locked position the cams extend into the void and force the contacts against the conductors.

10. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 9 wherein a knob is connected to the cam shaft to facilitate one-handed rotation of the cam shaft.

11. In an electrical connector for in-body multi-contact medical electrodes with linear-array plural-contact tails, having a tail-receiving member and means for connection of all contacts, the improvement comprising:

the tail-receiving member having an elongate void for receiving the tail, the void defining an internal surface;

an array of electrical conductors positioned along the internal surface, the electrical conductors being spring-loaded ball plungers which are biased toward the void to facilitate electrical engagement with the plural contacts of the tail; and

a lock positioned within the tail-receiving member and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the lock engages the tail and prevents the tail from being removed from the tail-receiving member.

12. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 11 wherein the tail-receiving member defines wells along the internal surface holding the spring-loaded ball plungers.

13. The multi-contact medical connector of claim 11 wherein the ball plungers protrude beyond the internal surface into the internal space in the unlocked position.

14. An electrical connector for connecting to an in-body multi-contact medical electrode with a tail having axially-spaced contacts, the connector comprising:

a tail-receiving member having an elongate axially-extending void for receiving the tail, the void defining an internal surface;

a plurality of electrical conductors axially-spaced along the internal surface such that the conductors are aligned with the axially-spaced contacts when the tail is received within the void, the conductors being biased toward the void to facilitate electrical engagement with the axially-spaced contacts of the tail, and

a lock positioned within the tail-receiving member and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the lock engages the tail and prevents the tail from being removed from the tail-receiving member.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the conductors are positioned opposite the lock such that the tail is compressed between the conductors and the lock when the lock is in the locked position.

16. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the lock is positioned within the tail-receiving member adjacent to the void.

17. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the lock comprises a cam shaft and cams, the cams being positioned in alignment with the conductors, whereby the cam shaft is rotatable between the unlocked and locked positions so that in the unlocked position the cams do not extend into the void and in the locked position the cams extend into the void and force the contacts against the conductors.

18. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the electrical conductors are spring-loaded.

19. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the plurality of electrical conductors are fixed in position along the internal surface before insertion of the tail.

20. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the lock is moveable from the locked position to the unlocked position to allow the tail to be removed from the tail-receiving member and moveable from the unlocked position to the locked position to prevent the tail from being removed from the tail-receiving member.