Header block for an AIMD with an abandoned lead connector cavity

• US 9,352,148 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stevenson, Robert A., Brendel, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US14/192,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20140243944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2103/00 Two poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

A header for an active implantable medical device includes a header block body and at least one active connector cavity configured to be attachable to an active lead. A first conductive leadwire has a first and second end, where the first end of the first conductive leadwire is electrically connected to the at least one active connector cavity and the second end of the first conductive leadwire is connectable to a hermetic terminal of the active implantable medical device. At least one abandoned connector cavity is located within the header block body configured to attachable to an abandoned lead. A second conductive leadwire has a first and second end, where the first end of the second conductive leadwire is electrically connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity and the second end of the second conductive leadwire is connectable to the active implantable medical device housing.

Claims

1. A header connector block attachable to a housing of an active implantable medical device, the header connector block comprising:

a) a header block body;

b) at least one active connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the active connector cavity is configured to be electrically connectable to an implantable lead of an active implantable medical device;

c) at least one abandoned connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the abandoned connector cavity is configured to be electrically connectable to an abandoned implanted lead;

d) a first conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the first header block leadwire extending from a first leadwire proximal end to a first leadwire distal end, wherein the first header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one active connector cavity and the first header block leadwire proximal end is electrically connectable to a conductive feedthrough of a hermetic terminal of an active implantable medical device; and

e) a second conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the second header block leadwire extending from a second leadwire proximal end to a second leadwire distal end, wherein the second header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity and the second header block leadwire proximal end is electrically groundable to a housing for the active implantable medical device.

2. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the at least one active connector cavity comprises a plurality of active connector cavities, each active connector cavity being electrically connected to at least one first header block leadwire distal end of a respective one of a plurality of first header block leadwires.

3. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the at least one active connector cavity is selected from the group consisting of an ISO IS-1 connector cavity, an IS4 connector cavity, a DF-1 connector cavity, and a DF4 connector cavity.

4. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the at least one abandoned connector cavity is selected from the group consisting of an ISO IS-1 connector cavity, an IS4 connector cavity, a DF-1 connector cavity, and a DF4 connector cavity.

5. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the at least one abandoned connector cavity comprises an ISO DF-1 connector cavity.

6. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the second header block leadwire is configured to electrically short an abandoned implanted lead connected to the abandoned connector cavity to the active implantable medical device housing.

7. The header connector block of claim 1, including a lead adapter comprising an adapter plug end configured to be physically inserted into and electrically coupled to the at least one abandoned connector cavity.

8. The header connector block of claim 7, including an RFID tag affixed to or embedded within the header block body or the lead adapter.

9. The header connector block of claim 7, wherein the lead adapter comprises at least two auxiliary abandoned connector cavities, and wherein when the adapter plug end is inserted into and electrically coupled to the at least one abandoned connector cavity, the at least two auxiliary abandoned connector cavities are electrically groundable to the housing for the medical device through the second header block leadwire.

10. The header connector block of claim 9, wherein the at least two auxiliary abandoned connector cavities are respectively selected from the group consisting of an ISO IS-1 connector cavity, an IS4 connector cavity, a DF-1 connector cavity, and a DF4 connector cavity.

11. The header connector block of claim 9, wherein the lead adapter has a low profile conforming shape configured for placing the at least two auxiliary abandoned connector cavities adjacent to an exterior surface of an implantable medical device when the adapter plug end is physically inserted into and electrically coupled to the at least one abandoned connector cavity.

12. The header connector block of claim 11, wherein the lead adapter is spaced no more than 2 mm from an exterior surface of an implantable medical device when the adapter plug end is physically inserted into and electrically coupled to the at least one abandoned connector cavity.

13. The header connector block of claim 11, wherein the lead adapter is configured to have an exterior surface that tightly conforms to an adjacent exterior surface of an implantable medical device when the adapter plug end is physically inserted into and electrically coupled to the at least one abandoned connector cavity.

14. The header connector block of claim 1, wherein the header block body comprises a threaded connector block that is electrically groundable to the device housing and wherein with an abandoned implanted lead connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity, a set screw is threadable into the threaded connector block and into contact with the abandoned lead to thereby complete electrical grounding of the abandoned lead to the housing for the medical device.

15. An active implantable medical device, comprising:

a) an active implantable medical device housing including a hermetic terminal, the hermetic terminal comprising;

i) a hermetic seal supported by and electrically coupled to the device housing; and

ii) a conductive feedthrough passing through the hermetic seal so that the conductive feedthrough is in a non-conductive relation with the device housing; and

b) a header block body attached to the device housing;

c) at least one active connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the active connector cavity is configured to be electrically connectable to an implantable lead of an active implantable medical device;

d) at least one abandoned connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the abandoned connector cavity is configured to be connectable to an abandoned implanted lead;

e) a first conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the first header block leadwire extending from a first leadwire proximal end to a first leadwire distal end, wherein the first header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one active connector cavity and the first header block leadwire proximal end is electrically connected to the at least one conductive feedthrough of the hermetic terminal; and

f) a second conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the second header block leadwire extending from a second leadwire proximal end to a second leadwire distal end, wherein the second header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the abandoned connector cavity and the second header block leadwire proximal end is electrically groundable to the hermetic seal or to the housing for the medical device.

16. The active implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the header block body comprises a threaded connector block that is electrically grounded to the device housing and wherein with an abandoned implanted lead connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity, a set screw is threadable into the threaded connector block and into contact with the abandoned lead to thereby complete electrical grounding of the abandoned lead to the housing for the medical device.

17. An active implantable medical device, comprising:

a) an active implantable medical device housing including at least one hermetic terminal, the hermetic terminal comprising;

i) a hermetic seal supported by and electrically coupled to the device housing; and

ii) at least two conductive feedthrough passing through the hermetic seal so that the conductive feedthroughs are in a non-conductive relation with the device housing; and

b) a header block body attached to the device housing;

c) at least one active connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the active connector cavity is configured to be electrically connectable to an implantable lead of an active implantable medical device;

d) at least one abandoned connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the abandoned connector cavity is configured to be connectable to an abandoned implanted lead;

e) a first conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the first header block leadwire extending from a first leadwire proximal end to a first leadwire distal end, wherein the first header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one active connector cavity and the first header block leadwire proximal end is electrically connected to a first one of the conductive feedthroughs of the hermetic terminal;

f) a second conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the second header block leadwire extending from a second leadwire proximal end to a second leadwire distal end, wherein the second header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity and the second header block leadwire proximal end is electrically connected to a second one of the conductive feedthroughs of the hermetic terminal; and

g) a diverter circuit disposed inside the device housing, the diverter circuit comprising a diverter circuit first end and a diverter circuit second end, wherein the diverter circuit first end is electrically switchable between the first and second conductive feedthroughs of the hermetic terminal and the diverter circuit second end is electrically grounded to the device housing.

18. The active implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the diverter circuit is selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a capacitor, an R-C circuit, an L-C circuit, and an R-L-C circuit.

19. The active implantable medical device of claim 17, wherein the at least one abandoned connector cavity comprises an ISO DF-1 connector cavity.

20. An abandoned implanted lead header attachable to an active implantable medical device housing, the abandoned implanted lead header comprising:

a) a header block body;

b) at least one abandoned connector cavity located within the header block body, wherein the abandoned connector cavity is configured to be electrically connectable to an abandoned implanted lead;

c) a conductive clip attached to the header block body, wherein the conductive clip is configured to tightly slip onto a housing for an implantable medical device; and

d) a conductive leadwire disposed within the header block body, the header block leadwire extending from a leadwire proximal end to a leadwire distal end, wherein the header block leadwire distal end is electrically connected to the at least one abandoned connector cavity and the header block leadwire proximal end is electrically connected to the conductive clip,

e) so that when an abandoned lead is electrically connected to the abandoned connector cavity in the header block body and the conductive clip is attached to the device housing, the header block leadwire proximal end electrically connected to the conducive clip provides for shunting of MRI RF energy from the abandoned lead to the device housing.

21. The abandoned implanted lead header of claim 20, wherein the at least one abandoned connector cavity is selected from the group consisting of an ISO IS-1 connector cavity, an IS4 connector cavity, a DF-1 connector cavity, and a DF4 connector cavity.