Implantable Pulse Generator Feed-Through Connector Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current connectors for implantable pulse generators (IPGs) face limitations, including inadequate support for devices with 24-26 contacts, larger feed-through wire pitches, and lack of stress relief, which complicates electrical connections and assembly processes, especially when using dissimilar materials.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly with conducting leads featuring a contact block connector, an IPG connector with a flat terminal and curved portion to receive IPG pins, and a conductive wire portion that can be routed through various structures, along with temporary connecting structures for assembly and stress relief, facilitating easy assembly and long-term durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If hand routed feed through wires are used to connect directly to the lead connection stack, then assembly is simplified, but stress relief is lost and weld area is excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into modular components: contact blocks with integrated feedthroughs, lead connectors with curved portions, and distinct weld areas. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the curved lead connector portion provides stress relief while the contact block provides structured weld areas of appropriate size.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead connector acts as an intermediary component between the contact block and the lead. It includes a curved portion that specifically provides stress relief, mediating the mechanical stresses between the rigid contact block and the flexible lead, thereby solving the stress relief problem without requiring hand-routed wires.
2Adaptability or versatility
If feed-through pitch is increased to accommodate more contacts, then more IPG contacts are supported, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact blocks provide localized, dense contact points with optimized pitch. The curved lead connector portions are strategically positioned to provide stress relief only where needed, allowing tight contact spacing without proportionally increasing overall connector volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design utilizes three-dimensional space efficiently by routing leads through curved portions that occupy vertical and lateral space rather than only horizontal space. This allows higher contact density in the contact block while maintaining compact overall dimensions through spatial optimization.
3Reliability
If dissimilar materials are used for connector components, then electrical conductivity and mechanical properties are optimized, but welding difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each component is made from materials optimized for its specific function: contact blocks from conductive materials, lead connectors from materials with appropriate mechanical properties. The localized weld areas are designed with specific geometries that facilitate welding between dissimilar materials, reducing overall welding complexity despite material diversity.
4Productivity
If multiple lead ports with contact stacks are assembled as a single unit, then testing efficiency is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple contact blocks and lead connectors are merged into a single integrated connector assembly that can be tested as one unit. This merging allows simultaneous testing of all channels for electrical continuity while the modular design (separate contact blocks and lead connectors) keeps the assembly process manageable through standardized interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector assembly for a medical device for connecting the medical device to a relatively large plurality of electrodes that can support, in some cases, 24 or more stimulation channels for stimulating one or more stimulation regions of a patient. Also the medical device and the stimulation system and the stimulation therapy utilizing the connector assembly.