Implantable connector with contact-containing feedthrough pins

An implantable electrical connector assembly for separably connecting at least one multi-conductor implantable lead to an implantable device having electronic circuitry contained inside a hermetically sealed case, comprising:

• (a) a hermetic electrical feedthrough attached to the device case, the feedthrough comprising a housing having inside walls, at least one dielectric substrate having an exterior side and an interior side, and a plurality of conductive feedthrough pins;
• the hermetic feedthrough having at least one exterior cavity formed by the feedthrough housing inside walls and the exterior side of the dielectric substrate;
• the feedthrough pins providing pass-through connections from the exterior cavity to the device electronic circuitry in the interior of the implantable case, each feedthrough pin being adapted to protectively confine and electrically interface a compressible contact;
• (b) at least one implantable lead with a proximal contact terminal having a plurality of lead contacts, each lead contact connected to at least one conductor of the multi-conductor lead, the lead contacts disposed in a pattern mapped directly to the plurality of the feedthrough pins;
• (c) a sealing means adapted to provide electrical isolation of the non-common contacts when the connector is pressurized;
• (d) a plurality of resilient compressible contacts, each compressible contact electrically connected to a respective feedthrough pin and protectively confined and retained in a tubular section of a contact assembly, so that only an outer tip of each contact projects from the tubular section, the tip adapted to making a separable electrical connection to the corresponding lead contact when the connector is pressurized;
• and
• (e) a connector clamping means, designed to detachably engage the feedthrough housing, comprising at least one clamping cover and at least one fastener and adapted to pressurize the connector contacts and seal interfaces by forcing the lead proximal contacts against the compressible contacts and compressing the sealing means against the exterior side of the dielectric substrate.

An implantable electrical connector assembly for separably connecting at least one multi-conductor implantable lead to an implantable device having electronic circuitry contained inside a hermetically sealed case, comprising:

• (a) a hermetic electrical feedthrough attached to the device case, the feedthrough comprising a housing having inside walls, at least one dielectric substrate having an exterior side and an interior side, and a plurality of conductive feedthrough pins hermetically sealed in the dielectric substrate;
• the hermetic feedthrough having at least one exterior cavity formed by the inside walls of the feedthrough housing and the exterior side of the dielectric substrate;
• the feedthrough pins providing pass-through connections from the exterior cavity to the electronic circuitry in the interior of the implantable device, each feedthrough pin having a tubular section open only to the exterior cavity and adapted to receive, retain, protectively confine, and electrically interface a compressible contact;
• (b) at least one implantable lead with a proximal contact terminal having a paddle-shaped body with a substantially flat bottom side and a top side, the body containing a plurality of conductive contact pads, each contact pad connected to at least one conductor of the multi-conductor lead, the contact pads disposed in a pattern mapped directly to the plurality of the feedthrough pins, the contact pads exposed from the bottom side of the terminal so that each contact pad can be accessed by a corresponding compressible contact integrated with the feedthrough pin, the lead terminal body further providing a contact electrical isolation seal when compressed against the exterior side of the dielectric substrate;
• (c) a plurality of resilient compressible contacts, each compressible contact having an inner end and an outer end, the compressible contact electrically connected to a respective feedthrough pin and protectively confined and retained in a tubular section thereof, so that only the outer end of the compressible contact protrudes from the tubular section, the outer end adapted to making a separable electrical connection to the corresponding contact pad when the connector is pressurized, and wherein at least a portion of the tubular section and the corresponding portion of the compressible contact are contained between the exterior and interior sides of the dielectric substrate;
• and
• (d) a connector clamping means, adapted to detachably engage the feedthrough housing, for supporting contact and seal compression loads, the clamping means arranged to exert pressure on the top side of the terminal body.