Medtronic, Inc.

James J Christenson

Andrew J Ries

James F Kelley

Charles Edward Peters

Craig L Wiklund

Daniel Charles Haeg

Jennifer J Zhao

Hui Jin

Kevin K Tidemand

David C Rice

Loc Van Vo

An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a connector header for making electrical and mechanical connections with a proximal connector assembly of an electrical medical lead and includes a retainer for retaining a penetrable grommet within a header grommet aperture. A connector block disposed within a header body of the connector header has a threaded bore aligned with a header grommet aperture and a connector block bore aligned with a header connector bore. The penetrable grommet is disposed within the header grommet aperture, and a setscrew is threaded into the threaded bore having a setscrew socket disposed to be engaged by a tool inserted through the penetrable grommet within the header grommet aperture to enable rotation of the setscrew within the threaded bore to tighten the setscrew against or to loosen the setscrew from a lead connector element received in the header connector bore.

IMD connector header with grommet retainer

A construction and method are employed for connecting leads and extensions that minimizes the need for set screws, and the times and physical efforts required of surgeons for connecting leads and connector blocks is reduced. An improved electrical and mechanical connector for the conductor comprises at least two components. First a multi-piece body forms a receptor for the conductor. At least one of the body pieces is electrically conductive. Second, an elastic member retains together the body pieces of the multi-piece body. The elastic member biases the body pieces into mechanical, restraining contact with the conductor, and biases the electrically conductive body piece into electrical contact with the conductor, when the conductor is introduced into the receptor. The elastic member further elastically yields under mechanical force to permit introduction of the conductor into the receptor.

Split contact with super elastic retaining ring for implantable medical device

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Blaine, MN, United States of America

James J Christenson