Compliant implantable connector and methods of use and manufacture

A method of powering an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

• interfacing a male contact component with a female contact component, one of the male and female contact component being associated with an implantable medical device while the other of the male and female contact component is associated with a power source or associated cable, the male component including a plurality of male contact pins that correspond with a plurality of female contact pins of the female component;
• engaging the interfaced male and female contact so as to axially displace an urging member defined in one or both of the male and female contact component such that the urging member exerts a reaction spring force;
• and
• mating the male and female component in a mated position such that corresponding male and female contact pins are conductively coupled while the urging member is displaced along a longitudinal axis of the respective contact pin;
• and
• maintaining electrical integrity of the conductive coupling between the male and female contact pins by accommodating compliant movement of the male and female contact pins while a reaction force of the displaced urging member provides an increased contact force between corresponding male and female contact pins.

A method of manufacturing an implantable connector, the method comprising:

• defining a distal protruding surface in a distal portion of each of one or more male contact pins of a substantially cylindrical shape;
• defining a distal recessed surface in a distal portion of each of one or more corresponding female pins of a substantially cylindrical shape, wherein the distal recessed surface corresponds to a shape of the distal protruding surface in the respective one or more male contact pins;
• defining a helical cut portion in a portion of the one or more male contact pins and/or the one or more female contact pins, the portion being proximal of the distal portion of the respective contact pins;
• electrically coupling an electrical conductor to each of the one or more female contact pins and incorporating the one or more female pins into a female component;
• electrically coupling an electrical conductor to each of the one or more male contact pins and incorporating the one or more female pins into a male component;
• and
• adapting the male and female components to interface with each other such that corresponding male and female components are conductively coupled while the helical portion of each respective male or female contact pin is displaced so as to exert a spring force in response that increases a contact force between conductively coupled contact pins.

An implantable connector having interfacing male and female components and adapted for use with an implantable heart pump, the connector comprising:

• a plurality of contact pins disposed within the male component, each male contact pin having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion being conductively coupled to a conductor and the distal portion having a distal engaging surface defined therein;
• and
• a plurality of female contact pins of the female component, each female contact pin having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion being conductively coupled to a conductor and the distal portion having a distal engaging surface defined therein that is adapted for engaging with the distal engaging surface of a corresponding male contact pin of the plurality;
• wherein each of the plurality of male and female contact pins are formed of a platinum-iridium alloy and include a helical cut portion defined in a region proximal of the respective distal portion, wherein the helical cut portions are configured to exert a reaction spring force in a longitudinal direction when displaced along a longitudinal axis of the respective contact pin to increase a contact force between distal engaging surfaces of the corresponding male and female contact pins when the male and female components are mated.