Modular Medical Lead Assembly for Flexible Conductor Configurations
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical device leads are inflexible in design and manufacturing, making it difficult to customize electrode and connector configurations, leading to increased production costs and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The development of modular medical leads with interchangeable modules, including a coiled lead body module and conductor hubs, allowing for customizable configurations of conductors and modules to be easily assembled and connected, enabling flexible manufacturing and reduced waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional non-modular lead designs are used, then manufacturing and customization are difficult, but this leads to increased production costs and reduced efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The lead is divided into separate modules including a lead body module, electrode module, and connector module that can be manufactured independently and then assembled together. This segmentation enables standardized mass production of each module while allowing flexible configurations through different module combinations, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency without sacrificing design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The lead body module is designed as a universal component that can be combined with different electrode modules and connector modules to create various lead configurations. This multi-functionality allows a single standardized module to serve multiple applications and patient needs, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high customization capability.
2Productivity
If modular lead design is implemented, then customization and efficiency improve, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each module is pre-manufactured and pre-assembled with its specific electrical and mechanical connections optimized for its function. The lead body module includes pre-configured conductor hubs with precisely positioned conductors, and the electrode/connector modules are pre-assembled with appropriate spacing and alignment. This preliminary preparation ensures that when modules are assembled, the overall precision requirements are met more easily, as each component already embodies the necessary precision for its specific function.
3Ease of manufacture
If modular lead components are manufactured independently, then production costs decrease, but the number of parts and assembly steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The modular design merges the lead body, electrodes, and connectors into separate manufacturable units that are then assembled into a complete lead system. This merging strategy allows each component to be optimized for its specific manufacturing process and cost-effectively produced through standardized procedures, while the final assembly creates a fully functional lead with reduced overall complexity compared to monolithic designs.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and techniques are disclosed for forming an elongate lead body module of a modular lead. The method may comprise rotating a mandrel, wherein the mandrel extends through a through-hole of a conductor hub, wherein each conductor of a plurality of conductors extend through a respective channel of a plurality of channels of the conductor hub, wherein each conductor of the plurality of conductors extends from a respective bobbin of plurality of bobbins to the channels, wherein the plurality of bobbins are coupled to a carriage, the carriage defining a central opening through which the mandrel passes. The method may comprise moving the carriage away from the conductor hub along a length of the mandrel while the mandrel rotates causing the conductors to coil around the mandrel.