Connector contact for electrical stimulation system

A medical device, comprising:

• a control module configured to be electrically connected to a lead,
• the lead including:
• a lead body with a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a longitudinal length,
• a plurality of electrodes disposed along the distal portion of the lead body,
• a plurality of terminals disposed along the proximal portion of the lead body, and
• a plurality of lead conductors electrically coupling the plurality of electrodes to the plurality of terminals;
• the control module including:
• a housing;
• an electronic subassembly disposed in the housing;
• an elongated connector housing having a first end and an opposing second end;
• a connector lumen defined in the connector housing, the connector lumen configured and arranged to receive the proximal end of the lead or the lead extension;
• and
• a plurality of similar connector-contact assemblies, each of the plurality including:
• a connector block configured to receive and retain a conductive spring within an interior of the connector block to form the contact connector, wherein a combination of the connector block and the spring are configured to receive a proximal end of the medical lead or a proximal end of the lead extension when the proximal end is inserted through the combination;
• the connector block having an open center portion, and further having a first end, an opposing second end, a longitudinal length extending between the first end and the second end, an outer surface, and an inner surface forming a perimeter of the open center portion of the connector block, the connector block further including a first flange at the first end and a second flange at the second end, wherein the first and second flanges extend inward from the inner surface of the connector block;
• and
• the spring being formed from a material with shape-memory, the spring being configured to be compressed for insertion through one of the first flange or the second flange, and to at least partially expand into an expanded state such that the spring is retained between the first flange and the second flange within the open center portion of the connector block, the spring having a biasing structure configured to physically contact the lead contact when the proximal end is inserted into a final position within the connector contact assembly.

A method, comprising:

• assembling a connector contact assembly for use to make an electrical connection to a lead contact of a medical device lead or lead extension, wherein the connector contact assembly includes a connector block configured to receive and retain a conductive spring having shape memory within an interior of the connector block, and the connector block having a first open end, an opposing second open end, a longitudinal length extending between the first open end and the second open end, an inner surface, an outer surface, a first flange at the first open end and a second flange at the second open end where the first and second flanges extend past the inner surface toward the interior of the connector block, wherein the assembling the connector contact assembly includes:
• applying a compressive force to the spring to reduce a spring size to a compressed size;
• inserting the spring having the compressed size through an opening in a first flange or opening in a second flange so that the spring is with the interior of the connector block;
• and
• removing the compressive force, allowing the spring to expand from the compressed shape to at least a partially expanded shape larger than the opening to the first flange or the second flange such that the spring is retained within the interior of the connector block.