Header assembly for electrically and mechanically connecting an active medical device to a lead

1 . A medical device, comprising:

a) a device housing containing an electrical power source connected to a printed circuit board supporting at least one electronic component; and

b) a feedthrough welded into an opening in the device housing, the feedthrough comprising:

i) a ferrule defining a ferrule opening extending to a ferrule device side end surface and a ferrule body fluid side end surface;

ii) an insulator hermetically sealed to the ferrule in the ferrule opening, the insulator extending to an insulator device side residing at or adjacent to the ferrule device side end surface, and the insulator extending to an insulator body fluid side that is recessed inwardly from the ferrule body fluid side end surface, wherein the ferrule has an inner annular groove that resides between the insulator body fluid side and the ferrule body fluid side end surface;

iii) at least a first terminal pin and a second terminal pin extending through the insulator wherein the first and second terminal pins each have a device side portion extending outwardly beyond the device side of the insulator and a body fluid side portion extending outwardly beyond the body fluid side of the insulator; and

iv) a hub having a hub opening, wherein the hub including the hub opening extend distally from and outwardly beyond the body fluid side end surface of the ferrule.

2 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule has an inner annular step that resides between the insulator body fluid side and the inner annular groove.

3 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein an O-ring is supported in the inner annular groove of the ferrule.

4 . The medical device of claim 1 , wherein the ferrule has an inner annular step that resides between the insulator body fluid side and the inner annular groove, and wherein an O-ring is supported in the inner annular groove of the ferrule.

5 . An active medical device (AMD) assembly, comprising:

a) an AMD comprising a device housing containing an electrical power source connected to a printed circuit board supporting at least one electronic component;

b) a feedthrough welded into an opening in the device housing, the feedthrough comprising:

i) a ferrule defining a ferrule opening extending to a ferrule device side end surface and a ferrule body fluid side end surface;

ii) an insulator hermetically sealed to the ferrule in the ferrule opening, the insulator extending to an insulator device side residing at or adjacent to the ferrule device side end surface, and the insulator extending to an insulator body fluid side residing at or adjacent to the ferrule body fluid side end surface;

iii) at least a first terminal pin and a second terminal pin extending through the insulator wherein the first and second terminal pins each have a device side portion extending outwardly beyond the device side of the insulator and a body fluid side portion extending outwardly beyond the body fluid side of the insulator; and

iv) a hub having a hub opening, wherein the hub including the hub opening extend s distally from and outwardly beyond the body fluid side end surface of the ferrule; and

c) a lead connector, comprising:

i) an annular connector sidewall extending from a connector device side end surface to a connector body fluid side end surface, wherein a lateral web residing between the connector device side and body fluid side end surfaces is provided with at least a first connector opening and a second connector opening;

ii) a proximally-facing and metallic first C-shaped insert and a proximally-facing and metallic second C-shaped insert residing in the respective first and second connector openings;

iii) a first annular spring and a second annular spring nested in the respective first and second C-shaped inserts;

iv) a strain-relief device fixedly connected to the connector body fluid side end surface, wherein the strain-relief device is connected to a lead, the lead having at least two electrical conductors connected to respective first and second electrodes; and

v) a lead connector inlet extending from the connector device side end surface into the strain-relief device, the lead connector inlet having an inlet opening,

d) wherein, with the hub of the feedthrough received in the lead connector inlet, and with a screw in the aligned hub and inlet openings securing the AMD to the lead connector including the strain-relief device, the device side portions of the first and second terminal pins of the feedthrough are electrically connected to the at least one electronic component contained in the device housing, the body fluid side portions of the first and second terminal pins are electrically connected to the respective first and second annular springs nested in the respective first and second C-shaped inserts, and the at least two electrical conductors are electrically connected to the respective first and second C-shaped inserts and the first and second electrodes of the lead.

6 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the screw is threaded into the aligned hub and inlet openings.

7 . The AMD assembly of claim 6 , wherein the strain-relief device has an inlet and a channel that extend inwardly from a proximal annular sidewall, and wherein the channel leads to an off-center spiral cavity terminating at an edge that is spaced closer to the proximal annular sidewall than the rest of the spiral cavity, and wherein the screw has a depending eccentric pin so that screwing the screw into the hub opening and into the channel and the spiral cavity in the strain-relief device causes the eccentric pin to travel along the perimeter of the spiral cavity until it seats at the terminating edge to secure the AMD to the lead connector and the strain-relief device connected to the lead.

8 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the device housing has a length extending along a longitudinal axis, and wherein first and second connector axes of the respective first and second terminal pins connected to the first and second annular springs nested in the respective first and second C-shaped inserts are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis, and wherein, further extensions of the first and second connector axes would extend into the device housing.

9 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first and second C-shaped inserts each have a planar distal face, and wherein a proximal end of each of the at least two electrical conductors of the lead is connected to the planar distal face of the respective first and second C-shaped insert.

10 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first and second C-shaped inserts each have a distal extension with a bore, and wherein a proximal end of the at least two electrical conductors is received in a respective bore to electrically connect the first and second C-shaped inserts to the first and second electrodes of the lead.

11 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the ferrule has an inner annular step, and the lead connector has a protruding rim so that with the AMD connected to the lead connector, the protruding rim of the lead connector is received in the annular step of the ferrule.

12 . The AMD assembly of claim 11 , wherein the ferrule has an inner annular groove adjacent to the annular step, the inner annular groove supporting an O-ring, and wherein, with the AMD connected to the lead connector, the protruding rim of the lead connector received in the annular groove of the ferrule contacts the O-ring.

13 . The AMD assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lead is configured to at least one of deliver electrical stimulation to body tissue or sense biological signals from body tissue.

14 . A medical device, comprising:

a) a device housing containing an electrical power source connected to a printed circuit board supporting at least one electronic component; and

b) a feedthrough welded into an opening in the device housing, the feedthrough comprising:

i) a ferrule defining a ferrule opening extending to a ferrule device side end surface and a ferrule body fluid side end surface;

ii) an insulator hermetically sealed to the ferrule in the ferrule opening, the insulator extending to an insulator device side residing at or adjacent to the ferrule device side end surface, and the insulator extending to an insulator body fluid side that is recessed inwardly from the ferrule body fluid side end surface;

iii) at least a first terminal pin and a second terminal pin extending through the insulator wherein the first and second terminal pins each have a device side portion extending outwardly beyond the device side of the insulator and a body fluid side portion extending outwardly beyond the body fluid side of the insulator; and

iv) a hub having a hub opening, wherein the hub including the hub opening extend distally from and outwardly beyond the body fluid side end surface of the ferrule.