US 5,730,628 AGranted

Multi-contact connector for an implantable medical device

AssigneePacesetter, Inc.

InventorRodney J. Hawkins

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Abstract

An electrical connector assembly is provided for detachably coupling an electrical lead to a medical device. A hollow barrel has a through passage which extends between proximal and distal ends. A leaf spring member includes a base element on the barrel adjacent the distal end and a plurality of integral resilient spring elements extend away from the distal end at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations to tip ends adjacent the proximal end. The leaf spring elements have contact portions intermediate the base element and the tip ends projecting and biased toward a longitudinal axis of the barrel for mating engagement with a proximal end of the electrical lead when inserted into the barrel from the distal end. A guide device on the barrel adjacent the proximal end and overlying the tip ends of the resilient spring elements serves to guide the electrical lead past the tip ends of the resilient spring elements without engaging the tip ends both during insertion and extraction. The passage through the hollow barrel preferably includes a first cylindrical passage defined by a first diameter and extends away from the distal end and a second cylindrical passage defined by a second diameter greater than the first diameter extends away from the proximal end. The second cylindrical passage is a stop surface for terminal engagement by the resilient spring elements when so moved by the electrical lead as it is inserted from the distal end of the barrel.

An electrical connector assembly for detachably coupling an electrical lead to a medical device comprising:

a hollow barrel having a longitudinal axis and extending between proximal and distal ends and having a first cylindrical passage defined by a first diameter and extending away from said distal end and a second cylindrical passage defined by a second diameter and extending away from said proximal end;
a circular plug fixed to said second cylindrical passage adjacent said proximal end, said plug having an annular flange spaced from said barrel extending toward the distal end of said barrel and, together with said barrel, defining an annular recess;
and
a leaf spring member including a base element fixed to said first cylindrical passage adjacent said distal end of said barrel and a plurality of integral resilient spring elements extending therefrom in a cantilevered manner at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations to tip ends freely received in the annular recess for limited transverse movement between said second cylindrical passage and said annular flange, said sprang elements being uniformly spaced from said first cylindrical passage and from said second cylindrical passage along the entire length of said leaf spring member beyond said base element, said spring elements having contact portions intermediate said base element and said tip ends, said contact portions being nearer the longitudinal axis of said barrel than other portions thereof, said contact portions projecting and biased toward the longitudinal axis of said barrel for mating engagement with a proximal end of the electrical lead when inserted into said barrel from said distal end and generally aligned with the longitudinal axis thereof, said tap ends being moved into terminal engagement with said second cylindrical passage upon mating engagement of said contact portions by the electrical lead;
whereby movement of said spring elements is restricted to assure that they do not exceed their elastic limit.

2 more elements

Abstract

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