Multi-electrode implantable systems and assemblies therefor
First Claim
1. An implantable medical electrical lead including a connector terminal configured to fit within a connector port of an implantable medical device for the electrical coupling thereto, an elongate flexible insulative body extending distally from the connector terminal and including an internal and longitudinally extending channel that provides for passage of an elongate instrument therein, at least three elongate flexible conductors extending within the insulative body, distally from the connector terminal, and a plurality of electrodes mounted on a distal portion of the insulative body, each of the plurality of electrodes being coupled to a corresponding conductor of the at least three elongate flexible conductors;
- and wherein the connector terminal of the lead comprises;
a first electrical contact member and a second electrical contact member, the second contact member being electrically isolated from the first contact member and spaced apart, distally from the first contact member along a length of the connector terminal;
a switching assembly mounted within the second electrical contact member, the switching assembly comprising a multiplexer mounted on an integrated circuit chip and electrically coupled to the second contact member, a proximal feedthrough subassembly including a feedthrough pin that electrically couples the first contact member to the multiplexer, and a distal feedthrough subassembly including a plurality of distal feedthrough pins, each feedthrough pin of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins being electrically coupled to the multiplexer and having a distal portion that extends distally from the distal end of the second contact member; and
an inner wall forming a lumen that extends along the length of the connector terminal and within the second contact member, the lumen having a proximal opening in proximity to the first contact member and being in fluid communication with the internal channel of the elongate flexible insulative body of the lead, to allow passage of the elongate instrument from the proximal opening and into the internal channel, and the inner wall isolating the lumen from the switching assembly and from each of the aforementioned electrical couplings to the multiplexer;
wherein each of the at least three elongate conductors includes a proximal segment coupled to the distal portion of a corresponding feedthrough pin of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins; and
the multiplexer includes a switch matrix element and a communications, control and power supply element, the switch matrix element including a plurality of pairs of switches, each pair of the plurality of pairs of switches corresponding to one of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins, a first of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding feedthrough pin to/from the first contact member and the communications, control and power supply element, and a second of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding feedthrough pin to/from the second contact member and the communications, control and power supply element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Hermetically sealed assemblies, for example, that include IC chips, are configured for incorporation within a connector terminal of an implantable medical electrical lead, preferably within a contact member of the terminal. An assembly may include two feedthrough subassemblies, welded to either end of the contact member, to form an hermetic capsule, in which an IC chip is enclosed, and a tubular member, which allows a lumen to extend therethrough, along a length of the terminal. A multi-electrode lead may include multiplexer circuitry, preferably a switch matrix element and a communications, control and power supply element that are electrically coupled to the contact member and to another contact member of the terminal. Each pair of switch matrix switches allows for any two of the electrodes to be selected, in order to deliver a stimulation vector, via stimulation pulses from a device/pulse generator, to which the connector terminal is connected.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An implantable medical electrical lead including a connector terminal configured to fit within a connector port of an implantable medical device for the electrical coupling thereto, an elongate flexible insulative body extending distally from the connector terminal and including an internal and longitudinally extending channel that provides for passage of an elongate instrument therein, at least three elongate flexible conductors extending within the insulative body, distally from the connector terminal, and a plurality of electrodes mounted on a distal portion of the insulative body, each of the plurality of electrodes being coupled to a corresponding conductor of the at least three elongate flexible conductors;
- and wherein the connector terminal of the lead comprises;
a first electrical contact member and a second electrical contact member, the second contact member being electrically isolated from the first contact member and spaced apart, distally from the first contact member along a length of the connector terminal; a switching assembly mounted within the second electrical contact member, the switching assembly comprising a multiplexer mounted on an integrated circuit chip and electrically coupled to the second contact member, a proximal feedthrough subassembly including a feedthrough pin that electrically couples the first contact member to the multiplexer, and a distal feedthrough subassembly including a plurality of distal feedthrough pins, each feedthrough pin of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins being electrically coupled to the multiplexer and having a distal portion that extends distally from the distal end of the second contact member; and an inner wall forming a lumen that extends along the length of the connector terminal and within the second contact member, the lumen having a proximal opening in proximity to the first contact member and being in fluid communication with the internal channel of the elongate flexible insulative body of the lead, to allow passage of the elongate instrument from the proximal opening and into the internal channel, and the inner wall isolating the lumen from the switching assembly and from each of the aforementioned electrical couplings to the multiplexer; wherein each of the at least three elongate conductors includes a proximal segment coupled to the distal portion of a corresponding feedthrough pin of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins; and the multiplexer includes a switch matrix element and a communications, control and power supply element, the switch matrix element including a plurality of pairs of switches, each pair of the plurality of pairs of switches corresponding to one of the plurality of distal feedthrough pins, a first of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding feedthrough pin to/from the first contact member and the communications, control and power supply element, and a second of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding feedthrough pin to/from the second contact member and the communications, control and power supply element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
- and wherein the connector terminal of the lead comprises;
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14. An implantable medical electrical stimulation system that includes an implantable device and an implantable lead configured for electrical coupling with, and decoupling from, the device;
- the device including an hermetically sealed housing, a power source and electronic circuitry contained within the housing, a hermetic feedthrough assembly extending through the housing, a connector port for the coupling with the lead, and first and second electrical device contacts mounted within the connector port and spaced apart from one another along a length of the port, each of the first and second contacts being coupled to the contained circuitry of the device via the hermetic feedthrough assembly, and the contained circuitry being programmable to deliver stimulation and data pulses through the first and second device contacts;
the lead including a connector terminal configured to fit within the connector port of the device for the electrical coupling thereto, an elongate flexible insulative body extending distally from the connector terminal and including an internal and longitudinally extending channel that provides for passage of an elongate instrument therein, at least three elongate flexible conductors extending within the insulative body, distally from the connector terminal, and a plurality of electrodes mounted on a distal portion of the insulative body, each of the plurality of electrodes being coupled to a corresponding conductor of the at least three elongate flexible conductors; and
wherein the connector terminal of the lead comprises;a first electrical connector contact; a second electrical connector contact electrically isolated from, and spaced apart, distally, from the first electrical connector contact along a length of the connector terminal at a predetermined distance, the predetermined distance being such that, when the connector terminal is inserted within the connector port of the device with the first connector contact located to be electrical coupled to the first device contact therein, the second connector contact is located to be electrically coupled to the second device contact therein; a switching assembly mounted within the second electrical connector contact, the switching assembly comprising a multiplexer mounted on an integrated circuit chip and electrically coupled to the second connector contact, a proximal feedthrough subassembly and a distal feedthrough subassembly, the proximal feedthrough subassembly including a conductive ferrule, a feedthrough pin and an insulator isolating the pin from the ferrule and being hermetically sealed to the pin and to the ferrule, the feedthrough pin electrically coupling the first connector contact to the multiplexer, and the distal feedthrough subassembly including a conductive ferrule, a plurality of feedthrough pins and an insulator isolating each of the pins from one another and from the corresponding ferrule, and being hermetically sealed to each of the pins and to the corresponding ferrule, each feedthrough pin of the distal feedthrough assembly electrically coupling a corresponding conductor of the at least three elongate flexible conductors to the multiplexer; and an inner wall forming a lumen that extends along the length of the connector terminal and within the second connector contact, the lumen having a proximal opening in proximity to the first electrical connector contact and being in fluid communication with the internal channel of the elongate flexible insulative body of the lead, to allow passage of the elongate instrument from the proximal opening and into the internal channel, and the inner wall isolating the lumen from the switching assembly and from each of the aforementioned electrical couplings to the multiplexer; wherein the multiplexer includes a switch matrix element and a communications, control and power supply element, the switch matrix element including a plurality of pairs of switches, each pair of the plurality of pairs of switches corresponding to each conductor of the at least three elongate flexible conductors, a first of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding conductor to/from the first connector contact and the communications, control and power supply element, and a second of each pair of switches adapted to connect and disconnect the corresponding conductor to/from the second connector contact and the communications, control and power supply element, such that any two of the plurality of electrodes can be selected, via programming of the contained circuitry of the device, in order to deliver a stimulation vector, via the stimulation pulses delivered through the first and second device contacts, when the lead connector terminal is inserted in the device connector port and each of the first and second connector contacts is coupled to the corresponding contact of the first and second device contacts. - View Dependent Claims (15)
- the device including an hermetically sealed housing, a power source and electronic circuitry contained within the housing, a hermetic feedthrough assembly extending through the housing, a connector port for the coupling with the lead, and first and second electrical device contacts mounted within the connector port and spaced apart from one another along a length of the port, each of the first and second contacts being coupled to the contained circuitry of the device via the hermetic feedthrough assembly, and the contained circuitry being programmable to deliver stimulation and data pulses through the first and second device contacts;
Specification