Connector assembly for use with medical devices
View Patent ↗Connector assemblies for use with implantable medical devices having easy to assemble contacts are disclosed. The connector assemblies are generally formed by coupling a plurality of contact housings, sealing rings and leaf spring contact elements to form a connector having a common bore for receiving a medical lead cable. Contact grooves for positioning the leaf spring contact elements are formed in part by assembling multiple components together.
1. An implantable medical device comprising:
a header attached to a sealed housing;
a connector assembly disposed in the header comprising a contact housing having portions that overlap with a sealing ring, and a spring contact element comprising spaced apart spring fingers disposed in a contact groove defined at least in part by an interior surface of the contact housing and a radially facing wall surface of a shoulder on the sealing ring; and a second contact housing comprising an opening; said opening surrounding at least a portion of the sealing ring.
2. The implantable medical device of claim 1 , wherein the spring contact element comprises an arcuate ring comprising a gap, said arcuate ring being disposed in the contact groove.
3. The implantable medical device of claim 2 , wherein the spaced apart spring fingers extend from the arcuate ring.
4. The implantable medical device of claim 3 , wherein the spaced apart spring fingers each comprises an apex configured to contact with a lead cable.
5. The implantable medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a slot in the contact housing.
6. The implantable medical device of claim 5 , further comprising a lead terminal extending through the slot and in contact with the spring contact element.
7. The implantable medical device of claim 1 , further comprising a common bore and a lead cable positioned in the common bore.
8. A connector assembly for use with an implantable medical device comprising:
an end cap;
a contact housing comprising a bore and comprising a portion that overlaps with the end cap;
a sealing ring comprising a shoulder projecting into the bore of the contact housing; and
a spring contact element comprising a base ring having a plurality of spaced apart spring fingers extending therefrom disposed, at least in part, in the bore of the contact housing.
9. The implantable medical device of claim 8 , wherein said base ring comprises a gap.
10. The implantable medical device of claim 9 , wherein the spring fingers each comprises at least one apex configured to contact with a lead cable.
11. The implantable medical device of claim 10 , wherein at least two of the spring fingers each comprises at least two apexes configured to contact with a lead cable.
12. The implantable medical device of claim 8 , further comprising a slot in the contact housing.
13. The implantable medical device of claim 12 , further comprising a lead terminal extending through the slot and in contact with the base ring.
14. The implantable medical device of claim 8 , further comprising a second contact housing comprising an opening; said opening surrounding at least a portion of the sealing ring.
15. The implantable medical device of claim 8 , further comprising a common bore and a lead cable positioned in the common bore.
16. A method of assembling a connector assembly for use with an implantable medical device comprising:
providing a first contact housing having a slot and an interior surface defining a cavity;
inserting a spring contact element comprising a base having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom into the cavity of the first contact housing;
inserting a seal ring into the base of the spring contact element;
and mounting a second contact housing having a slot and an interior surface defining a cavity around at least a portion of the seal ring.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the base of the spring contact element comprises a gap.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of aligning a lead terminal with the slot of the first contact housing.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the connector assembly comprises a common bore, and wherein a lead cable is positioned in the common bore.