Implantable Connector Assembly Segmentation for Sealing and Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices face contamination issues due to bodily fluids and foreign matter, which can lead to reduced performance or failure, and the existing connection methods obstruct access to the patient, complicating surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A removably coupled implantable connector assembly with a plug and receptacle design that uses a plunger body, cable seals, and a locking mechanism to inhibit contamination while allowing for easy access, featuring a plug communication structure and receptacle communication structure with annular conduits and insulators for secure electrical power transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cable is permanently and fluidly sealed to the implantable device to inhibit contamination, then contamination resistance is improved, but access to the patient is blocked and surgical complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate components: a receptacle that remains permanently implanted and sealed within the subcutaneous pocket, and a separate plug that connects temporarily during procedures. This segmentation allows the sealed receptacle to maintain contamination resistance while the removable plug enables access when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable connection is extracted from the permanent implant structure. The receptacle is implanted and sealed, but the actual cable connection is removed and placed in a separate, removable plug that can be brought in only when procedures are needed, thus maintaining access while preserving the sealed state during normal operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a cable extends from the implantable device during surgery to provide elements, then electrical power and fluid delivery are enabled, but access to the patient is obstructed and positioning becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the power and fluid delivery capability (in the form of a separate plug with cable) from the implanted device (receptacle). This allows the receptacle to be positioned optimally within the subcutaneous pocket without needing to accommodate cable extensions, simplifying positioning while maintaining full adaptability for power and fluid delivery when the plug is connected.
3Reliability
If a permanent seal is used to prevent contamination from bodily fluids and foreign matter, then device reliability is improved, but the connection cannot be removed for maintenance or access
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is segmented into a permanently sealed receptacle and a removable plug. The receptacle maintains the permanent seal necessary for preventing contamination, while the plug can be removed and replaced as needed for maintenance, access, or cable replacement, thus providing both reliability and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection state is made dynamic: the receptacle remains in a permanently sealed state for reliability, while the plug can be dynamically connected or disconnected based on maintenance needs or procedural requirements, combining permanent protection with flexible accessibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
An implantable connector assembly (14) for communicating an element to an implantable device (12) within a patient (20) comprises a plug (16), a receptacle (18), and a pair of communication structures (72, 108). The plug (16) includes a plunger body (64). The receptacle (18) includes a sleeve (98) and a stopper (114). The sleeve (98) defines an opening (104), and the stopper (114) is resiliently mounted within the sleeve (98) to cover and fluidly seal the opening (104). The pair of communication structures (72, 108) is positioned respectively on the plunger body (64) and the sleeve (98). One of the communication structures (72, 108) connects to a source and the other communication structure (108, 72) connects to the implantable device (12). The plunger body (64) inserts into the sleeve (98) to displace the stopper (114) and couple the pair of communication structures (72, 108) for communication of the element therebetween.