Header connection system for implantable medical device

An implantable device comprising:

• a housing including electronics disposed within the housing;
• a lead including an elongate body with a proximal end and a distal end, the lead including at least one lead contact proximate the proximal end and at least one lead electrode proximate the distal end;
• and
• a header attached to the housing, the header configured to engage with the lead and electrically couple the lead to the electronics disposed within the housing, the header including:
• a first header portion;
• a second header portion at least partially disengageable from the first header portion, wherein the header includes:
• a closed configuration in which the first header portion is fully engaged with the second header portion;
• and
• an open configuration in which the first header portion is at least partially disengaged from the second header portion;
• at least one bore within the header sized and shaped to accommodate the proximal end of the lead, the bore including a bore opening in a wall of the header, the bore being split substantially longitudinally to form a first bore portion and a second bore portion, the first bore portion forming a first channel disposed within the first header portion and including a first channel opening in a first surface along a length of the first channel, and the second bore portion forming a second channel disposed within the second header portion and including a second channel opening in a second surface along a length of the second channel;
• at least one header contact disposed within the bore and configured to electrically couple to the lead contact with the proximal end of the lead disposed within the bore;
• and
• a positioning feature disposed within the bore, the positioning feature configured to interact with a corresponding lead feature proximate the proximal end of the lead, wherein, with the proximal end of the lead disposed within the bore and the positioning feature interacting with the lead feature, the at least one lead contact aligns with the at least one header contact to allow the at least one lead contact to electrically couple to the at least one header contact, wherein:
• with the header in the open configuration, the length of the first bore portion is accessible to allow the lead to be inserted within the first channel through the first channel opening;
• and
• with the header in the closed configuration, the first surface of the first header portion abuts the second surface of the second header portion so that the first bore portion and the second bore portion form the bore accessible only through the bore opening in the wall of the header, such that, with the proximal end of the lead disposed within the bore, the elongate body of the lead extends distally from the bore opening.

A header of an implantable device, the header comprising:

• a first header portion;
• a second header portion at least partially disengageable from the first header portion, wherein the header includes:
• a closed configuration in which the first header portion is fully engaged with the second header portion;
• and
• an open configuration in which the first header portion is at least partially disengaged from the second header portion;
• at least one bore within the header sized and shaped to accommodate a proximal end of a lead, the bore including a bore opening in a wall of the header, the bore being split substantially longitudinally to form a first bore portion and a second bore portion, the first bore portion forming a first channel disposed within the first header portion and including a first channel opening in a first surface of the first header portion along a length of the first channel, and the second bore portion forming a second channel disposed within the second header portion and including a second channel opening in a second surface of the second header portion along a length of the second channel;
• at least one header contact disposed within the bore and configured to electrically couple to a lead contact with the proximal end of the lead disposed within the bore;
• and
• a positioning feature disposed within the bore, the positioning feature configured to interact with a corresponding lead feature proximate the proximal end of the lead, wherein:
• with the header in the open configuration, the length of the first bore portion is accessible to allow a lead to be inserted within the first channel through the first channel opening;
• and
• with the header in the closed configuration, the first surface of the first header portion abuts the second surface of the second header portion so that the first bore portion and the second bore portion form the bore accessible only through the bore opening in the wall of the header.