Feedthrough Connector for Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost of platinum-based terminal pins in implantable medical devices and the difficulty in welding or soldering lower-cost metals like niobium, tantalum, and titanium to circuit board contacts pose challenges in achieving reliable electrical connections.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly with a clip within a housing that grips the terminal pin and an annular sidewall with a conductive surface for soldering or welding, allowing for secure electrical connections regardless of the terminal pin material, using materials like titanium, tantalum, or stainless steel for the ferrule and alumina or glass dielectric for insulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lower-cost metals like niobium, tantalum, or titanium are used to replace platinum-based terminal pins, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ability to weld or solder to circuit board contacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a connector assembly as an intermediary component between the terminal pin and circuit board. This connector includes a conductive housing with a contact surface that can be easily soldered or welded to the circuit board, while internally gripping the terminal pin through a clip mechanism. This mediator resolves the incompatibility between difficult-to-solder terminal pin materials and the soldering-friendly requirements of circuit board connections.
2Ease of manufacture
If platinum-based terminal pins are used, then ease of welding and soldering to circuit board contacts is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connection system into two distinct functional parts: the terminal pin (which can be made of cost-effective materials like niobium, tantalum, or titanium) and the connector assembly (which provides the soldering/welding interface). This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the terminal pin for cost and electrical performance, and the connector for ease of manufacturing attachment to the circuit board.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a clip connector is used to grip the terminal pin, then adaptability to different terminal pin materials is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly is designed with universal functionality to work with various terminal pin materials (niobium, tantalum, titanium, or platinum-based). The clip mechanism provides mechanical gripping that is material-agnostic, and the conductive housing provides the electrical and soldering interface. This multi-functionality achieves adaptability across different materials while keeping the connector design standardized and relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A feedthrough filter capacitor assembly comprising a terminal pin connector is described. The terminal pin connector is designed to facilitate an electrical connection between the terminal pin comprising a multitude of compositions to a circuit board of an implantable medical device. The terminal pin connector comprises a clip portion positioned within a connector housing. The connector clip mechanically attaches to the terminal pin of the feedthrough with at least one prong and an exterior surface of the connector housing electrically contacts the circuit board, creating an electrical connection therebetween. The connector housing comprises a material that is conducive to a weld or solder attachment process to the circuit board. The feedthrough filter capacitor assembly is particularly useful for incorporation into implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and the like, to decouple and shield internal electronic components of the medical device from undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals.