Multi-contact connector for electrode for example for medical use

• US 6,913,478 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dixi Medical S.A.S.
• Original Assignee: Dixi Microtechniques SAS
• Inventors: Lamirey, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US10/602,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20040005802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 439/668, 439/669, 439/259, 439/263, 439/909, 607/37, 607/115, 607/486, 607/378, 600/486, 600/378
• US Class Current: 439/259
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/227 Sensors with electrical connectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/293 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/909 Medical use or attached to human body

Abstract

Multiple contact connector for an electrode, for example, for medical use.

The present invention relates to a multiple contact connector with reduced space requirement and weight regardless of the number of electrical contacts of the electrode, which can receive one or two electrodes, which guarantees a reliable and secured electrical connection with no risk of accidental disconnection and which is not a problem for a patient in whom the electrodes are implanted.

This connector (1) consists of male plug (6) which has elongated support (60) provided on at least one of its sides with a number of contact zones (61) equal to the number of contacts of said electrode (2) and which are aligned parallel to the axis of first cable section (4), and female socket (7) having roughly cylindrical body (70) arranged in the extension of second cable section (5) and having at least one housing (71) provided with a number of contact elements (72) equivalent to the number of contact zones (61) of said male plug (6) and capable of receiving said support (60). This connector (1) is characterized in that it has tightening sleeve (8) arranged in order to maintain support (60) in housing (71) and to exert a radial pressure of contact zones (61) on contact elements (72) in such a way as to ensure the electrical connections.

Claims

1. A multiple contact connector comprising:

a) at least one male plug (6) with each male plug (6) comprising an elongated and electrically insulated support (60) and having a number of electrically conductive contact zones (61), on at least one side thereof, along a longitudinal axis of the support (60);

b) a female socket (7) comprising an elongated and electrically insulated body (70) having at least one longitudinal and electrically insulated housing (71), on at least one side thereof, along a longitudinal axis of the body;

wherein the housing (71) further comprises a number of electrically conductive contact elements (72) positioned along a longitudinal axis of the housing;

c) the support (60) of the male plug (6) has notches (62) in which the contact zones (61) are arranged, the support and the notches having a geometry which is complementary to that of the housing (71) of the female socket (7) allowing assembling with one another by nesting;

d) the contact zones (61) and the contact elements (72) face one another so that when the support (60) is nested with the housing (71), the contact zones (61) contact with the contact elements (72) and form electrical connections; and

e) a tightening device (8), axially slidable along an exterior of the body (70) of the female socket (7), for maintaining the support (60) in the housing (71) and exerting a radial pressure on the support (60) and the contact zones (61) into electrical engagement with the contact elements (72).

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the support (60) has at least two flat lateral surfaces (60a) while the body (70) comprises at least two lateral surfaces (71a) of the housing (71), and the flat lateral surfaces (60a) of the support (60) correspond geometrically to the lateral surfaces (71a) of the body (70).

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein, the notches (62) define radial walls (62′

) interposed between the contact zones (61) to electrically insulate the contact zones (61) from one another.

4. The connector of claim 1, wherein the support (60) comprises a groove (63) for receiving a first cable section (4), which contains the contact zones (61).

5. The connector of claim 1 wherein the body (70) of the female socket (7) has a first free end zone (70a), a second free end zone (70b) for coupling with a second cable section (5), and a middle zone (70c) including the housing (71), the middle zone (70c) comprises radial walls (73′

) interposed along the longitudinal axis of the body (70) and electrically insulate the contact elements (72) from one another.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the second end zone (70b) has a bore (75) for receiving an end of the second cable section (5), the middle zone (70c) has at least one circulation channel (76) parallel to an axis of the second cable section (5) for receiving electrical wires (5′

) of the cable section (5), the electrical wires (5′

) are electrically connected to the contact elements (72).

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein each contact element (72) comprises a curved metallic spring blade, a first end of each contact element (72) projects into the housing (71) and a second end of each contact element (72) is mounted integrally in the body (70) by a connecting component (77).

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the connecting component (77) is a metallic rivet housed in a radial bore (74′

), the radial bore (74′

) passes through an axial core (74) of the body (70).

9. The connector of claim 7, wherein the connecting component (77) is a hollow wire guide for electrical wires (5′

).

10. The connector of claim 8, wherein the axial core (74) of the body (70) has at least one flat part (71b) defining the bottom of the housing (71), on which a projecting end of the contact elements (72) and the contact zones (61) of male plug (6) are arranged.

11. The connector of claim 6, wherein the body (70) has two diametrically opposed circulation channels (76) in which the electrical wires (5′

) of the second cable section (5) are distributed.

12. The connector of claim 11, wherein the body (70) has first and second diametrically opposed housings (71) for receiving first and second male plugs (6) connected to first and second electrodes (2).

13. The connector of claim 12, wherein the contact elements (72) of the two housings (71) alternate with respect to their positions.

14. The connector of claim 5, wherein the tightening device (8) further comprises an electrically insulating tightening sleeve (80), the tightening sleeve (80) is mounted on the female socket (7) and is movable along the longitudinal axis of the body (70), between an open position and a closed position, in the open position the tightening sleeve (80) releases the middle zone (70c) of the body (70) and allows positioning of the support (60) of the male plug (6) in the corresponding housing (71), in the closed position the tightening sleeve (80) covers the middle zone (70c) and exerts a radial pressure on the support (60) in the housing (71) by pressing the contact zones (61) on the contact elements (72).

17. The connector according to claim 14, further comprising a stop device (81) on a second cable length (5) is positioned at a distance such that the stop device (81) delimits a stoke of the tightening sleeve (80) in open position.

18. The connector according to claim 17, wherein a first end of the tightening sleeve (80) opposite the stop device (81) comprises an interior bevel (82) which cooperates with a corresponding bevel (64) on the support (60) of the male plug (6) when the tightening sleeve (80) passes from the open position to the closed position.

19. The connector according to claim 6, further comprising an electrically insulating guard (9) between the body (70) and the tightening sleeve (80) and arranged to hide an opening of the circulation channel (76) made in the body (70).

20. The connector according to claim 19, wherein the guard (9) consists of a half shell (90), the half shell (90) is positioned on the body (70) in the middle zone (70c) between the first and second free end zones (70a, 70b) of the body (70).

21. The connector according to claim 20, wherein the body (70) and the tightening sleeve (80) are approximately cylindrical, an interior diameter of the tightening sleeve (80) is approximately equal to a sum of an exterior diameter of the middle zone (70c) of the body (70) and twice a thickness of the guard (9), a height of the support (60) of the male plug (6) is at most equal to a sum of a depth of the housing (71) and thickness of the guard (9).

22. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the first free end zone (70a) of the body (70) comprises a slot (79) extending from the housing (71), the slot (79) receiving the first cable length (4) of the male plug (6).

15. A multiple contact connector comprising:

a) a male plug (6), comprising an elongated and electrically insulated support (60) formed integral with the male plug (6), and having the male plug (6) a number of electrically condutive contact zones (61), on at least one side thereof, along a longitudinal axis of the support (60);

b) a female socket (7), comprising an elongated and electrically insulated body (70) having at least one longitudinal and electrically insulated housing (71), on at least one side thereof, along a longitudinal axis of the body,

the housing (71) further comprises a number of electrically conductive contact elements (72) positioned along the longitudinal axis of the housing;

c) the support (60) of the male plug (6) has notches (62) in which the contact zones (61) are arranged, the support and the notches having a geometry which is coplementary to that of housing (71) of the female socket (7), allowing assembling by mating with one another;

d) the contact zones (61) and the contact elements (72) face one another so that, when the support (60) is mated with the housing (71), the contact zones (61) contact with the contact elements (72) and form electrical connections;

e) a tightening device (8), axially slidable along an exterior of the body (70) of the female socket (7), for retaining the support (60) in the housing (71) and exerting a radial pressure on the contact zones (61) and thus on the contact elements (72) to ensure electrical connection therebetween.

16. The connector of claim 15, wherein the tightening device (8) further comprises an electrically insulating tightening sleeve (80), the tightening sleeve (80) mounted on the female socket (7) is movable along the longitudinal axis of the body (70) between an open position and a closed position, in the open position the tightening sleeve (80) releases the housing (71) of the body (70) and allows positioning of the support (60) of the male plug (6) in the housing (71), in the closed position the tightening sleeve (80) covers the housing (71) and exerts a radial pressure on the support (60) in the housing (71) by pressing the contact zones (61) on the contact elements (72).