Pass-through assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10441802-B2
Application number	US-201414471744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2014
Priority date	Aug 28, 2013
Publication date	Oct 15, 2019
Grant date	Oct 15, 2019

Abstract

A pass-through assembly including a first wall having oppositely-directed inner and outer sides, the first wall defining a first opening extending from the inner side to the outer side; an elongated structure extending into the opening from the outer side of the first wall; a first material contacting the first wall and the elongated structure so as to at least partially seal the opening, and a second material different from the first material, the second material overlying the first material on the outer side of the wall, the second material adhering to the elongated structure and the first wall, the second material having at least one physical property different than a corresponding physical property of the first material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pass-through assembly comprising:
a first wall having oppositely-directed inner and outer sides, the first wall defining a first opening extending from the inner side to the outer side and a recess including a base portion disposed between the inner side and the outer side and forming a floor of the recess;
an inner ring and an outer ring extending outwardly from the base portion of the recess and being disposed completely within the recess;
an elongated structure extending into the opening from the outer side of the first wall;
a first flowable and curable material contacting the first wall and the elongated structure so as to at least partially seal the opening, and
a second material disposed at least partially within the recess in contact with the base portion and overlying the first material on the outer side of the wall and adhering to the elongated structure and the first wall, the second material having at least one physical property different than a corresponding physical property of the first material.

2. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the elongated structure is flexible.

3. The pass-through assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first wall has one or more additional openings extending from the inner side to the outer side, the assembly further comprising one or more additional elongated flexible structures extending into the additional openings from the outer side of the first wall.

4. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second material covers the first material so that no portion of the first material is exposed at the outer side of the first wall.

5. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer side of the first wall has the inner ring projecting outwardly from the base portion around the opening and the outer ring projecting outwardly from the base portion around the inner ring so that the inner and outer rings define an annular space therebetween.

6. The pass-through assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first material is disposed at least partially within the annular space.

7. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer rings extend upwardly from the floor of the recess.

8. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second material is disposed at least partially within the recess.

9. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pass-through is implantable within the body of an animal.

10. The pass-through assembly of claim 9 , further comprising:
a third material disposed at least atop the second material, the third material being biocompatible.

11. The pass-through assembly of claim 10 , wherein the third material is disposed atop a surface of a housing that includes the first wall.

12. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first material is a silicone.

13. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second material is an epoxy.

14. The pass-through assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second material is biocompatible.

15. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the elongated structure has at least one ring element with an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the opening in the first wall.

16. The pass-through assembly of claim 15 , wherein the at least one ring element is deformable to permit insertion into the opening in an insertion direction.

17. The pass-through assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first wall defines the recess in the outer side.

18. A housing assembly comprising a pass-through assembly, comprising:
a first wall having oppositely-directed inner and outer sides, the first wall defining a first opening extending from the inner side to the outer side and a recess including a base portion disposed between the inner side and the outer side and forming a floor of the recess;
an inner ring and an outer ring extending outwardly from the base portion of the recess and being disposed completely within the recess;
an elongated structure extending into the opening from the outer side of the first wall;
a first flowable and curable material contacting the first wall and the elongated structure so as to at least partially seal the opening, and a second material disposed at least partially within the recess in contact with the base portion and overlying the first material on the outer side of the wall and adhering to the elongated structure and the first wall, the second material has at least one physical property different than a corresponding physical property of the first material; and
one or more additional walls, the additional walls and the first wall cooperatively defining an interior space, the inner side of the first wall facing inwardly toward the interior space.

19. The housing assembly of claim 18 , further comprising a component mounted within the interior space, the elongated structure extending through the first opening into the interior space to the component.

20. The housing assembly of claim 19 , wherein the elongated structure is an electrical cable.

21. The housing assembly of claim 20 , wherein the component is at least one of: an implantable battery, an implantable heart pump, and an implantable transcutaneous energy transfer system.

22. A method of sealing an opening defined in a first wall of a housing, the method comprising:
(a) advancing an elongated structure through the opening;
(b) applying a first flowable and curable material to the first wall, the first material surrounding the elongated structure and having a first elastic modulus; and
(c) applying a second material at least partially within a recess having a base portion forming a floor of the recess and being defined by the first wall and atop the first material, the second material contacting the base portion and surrounding the elongated structure and having a second elastic modulus, wherein the base portion of the recess includes a plurality of rings extending outwardly therefrom, and the plurality of rings are disposed completely within the recess.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising attaching the first wall to one or more other walls of the housing.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:
after step (a), connecting a first end of the elongated structure to a component disposed within the housing.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein step (b) further comprises:
applying the first material at least partially within an annular space defined by the base portion of the first wall and the plurality of rings projecting outwardly from the base portion around the opening.

26. The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
(d) applying a third material atop the second material and a surface of the housing, the third material being biocompatible.

Assignees

• Heartware Inc

Inventors

• Rudser John

Classifications

• A61N1/3754 Primary

  Feedthroughs · CPC title

• A61M2205/04

  implanted · CPC title

• A61M2205/0216

  Materials providing elastic properties, e.g. for facilitating deformation and avoid breaking · CPC title

• A61M39/1011

  Locking means for securing connection; Additional tamper safeties (A61M39/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61M2210/125

  Heart · CPC title