Implantable medical device headers that facilitate device and lead configuration variants

• US 8,523,617 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Seeley, Dale F., Hegland, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imas, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US13/598,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20120322317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 439/668, 439/909, 439/36, 439/37
• US Class Current: 439/668
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/514 composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5224 for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/00 Two-part coupling devices, or either of their cooperating parts, characterised by their overall structure contact members H01R13/02; securing contact members in or to a base or case or insulating of contact members H01R13/40; bases or cases H01R13/46; means for supporting coupling part when not engaged H01R13/60; means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement H01R13/62; means for preventing, inhibiting or avoiding incorrect coupling H01R13/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/86 Parallel contacts arranged about a common axis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

Implantable medical devices include headers having various features such as a modular design whereby the header is constructed from a series of stacked contact modules. Additional features include a feedthrough where pins exiting a housing of the implantable medical device extend into the header to make direct electrical connection to electrical contacts present within the header where those electrical contacts directly engage electrical connectors of leads inserted into the header. Other features include electrical contacts that are relatively thin conductors on the order of 0.040 inches or less and may include radial protrusions where the radial protrusions establish contact with the electrical connectors of the lead. Furthermore, electrical contacts may be mounted within the header in a floating manner so that radial movement of the electrical contact may occur during lead insertion.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header comprising;

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway; and

a plurality of electrical contacts positioned within the lead passageway, each of the plurality of contacts being in electrical communication with a corresponding pin of the feedthrough;

wherein each contact module has at least one axial extension and wherein an electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts surrounds the at least one axial extension.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality of contact isolators being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality of contact modules with at least one electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts being located axially between contact isolators.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein each contact module has a plurality of axial extensions and wherein the electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts surrounds each of the plurality of axial extensions.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of axial extensions of each contact module have circumferential spacing and wherein the electrical contact has radial protrusions within the circumferential spacing.

5. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing;

circuitry within the housing;

a feedthrough electrically connected to the circuitry and providing pins externally of the housing;

a header mounted to the housing, the header comprising;

a plurality of adjacent contact modules, each contact module having at least one lead passageway; and

a plurality of electrical contacts positioned within the lead passageway, each of the plurality of contacts being in electrical communication with a corresponding pin of the feedthrough;

wherein each contact module has at least one axial extension that extends into the lead passageway of an adjacent contact module.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of contact isolators, with a contact isolator of the plurality of contact isolators being disposed within each of the at least one lead passageways of the corresponding contact modules of the plurality of contact modules with at least one electrical contact of the plurality of electrical contacts being located axially between contact isolators.