Medical devices including metallic connector enclosures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9669228-B2
Application number	US-201615210645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2010
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

Medical devices provide metallic connector enclosures. The metallic connector enclosures may be constructed with relatively thin walls in comparison to polymer connector enclosures to aid in miniaturizing the medical device. The metallic connector enclosures may be constructed with interior surfaces that deviate less from an ideal inner surface shape in comparison to polymer connector enclosures to allow for better concentricity of electrical connectors. The metallic connector enclosures may include a panel that allows access to the cavity of the connector enclosure where set screw blocks, lead connectors, spacers, seals, and the like may be located. Furthermore, the lead connectors within the metallic connector enclosures may be separated from the metallic connector enclosure by being positioned within non-conductive seals that reside within features included in cavity walls of the connector enclosure. Similarly, set screw blocks may be separated from the metallic connector enclosure by non-conductive spacers present within the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of constructing a medical device, comprising:
providing a can that houses medical circuitry, at least an edge of the can being metallic;
providing electrical connectors within the can and electrically connected to the medical circuitry;
providing a connector enclosure that encloses lead connectors, the connector enclosure comprising a metallic body defining a cavity, the connector enclosure including an opening to the cavity;
providing lead connectors within the cavity and in alignment with the opening;
providing electrical conductors that are electrically connected to the lead connectors within the cavity and that are electrically isolated from the metallic body while being exposed outside of the base of the connector enclosure;
placing the metallic edge of the can in contact with a metallic edge of the metallic body such that the electrical connectors within the can and the electrical conductors exposed outside the metallic body are in contact and are contained by a housing created by the contact of the can and the metallic body of the connector enclosure; and
creating a metallic weld between the contact of the metallic edge of the can and the metallic body of the connector enclosure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the can has an opening defined by the metallic edge and where creating the metallic weld is done so that the metallic body covers the opening.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the can is fully metallic.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic body is fully metallic.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic weld is a laser seam weld.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic body comprises titanium.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the titanium is grade 5.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the connector enclosure further comprises a titanium panel that covers the cavity.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the titanium panel is grade 1 titanium.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metallic body defines feedthrough passageways and wherein the electrical conductors are feedthrough pins.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising feedthrough capacitors that are electrically coupled between the feedthrough pins and the can.

12. A method of constructing a medical device, comprising:
providing a can that houses medical circuitry, at least an edge of the can being metallic;
providing electrical connectors within the can and electrically connected to the medical circuitry;
providing a connector enclosure that encloses lead connectors, the connector enclosure comprising a metallic body that includes an opening to a cavity defined by the metallic body;
providing lead connectors within the cavity and in alignment with the opening;
providing electrical conductors that are electrically connected to the lead connectors within the cavity and that are electrically isolated from the connector enclosure while being exposed outside of the metallic body;
placing the metallic edge of the can in contact with the metallic body of the connector enclosure such that the electrical connectors within the can and the electrical conductors exposed outside the metallic body are in contact and are contained by a housing created by the contact of the can and the metallic body; and
creating a metallic weld between the contact of the metallic edge of the can and the metallic body of the connector enclosure.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the can has an opening defined by the metallic edge and where creating the metallic weld is done so that the metallic body covers the opening.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the can is fully metallic.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic body is fully metallic.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic weld is a laser seam weld.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic body comprises titanium.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the titanium is grade 5.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the connector enclosure further comprises a titanium panel that covers the cavity.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the titanium panel is grade 1 titanium.

21. The method of claim 12 , wherein the metallic body defines feedthrough passageways and wherein the electrical conductors are feedthrough pins.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising feedthrough capacitors that are electrically coupled between the feedthrough pins and the can.

23. A method of constructing a medical device, comprising:
providing a can that houses medical circuitry, at least an edge of the can being metallic;
providing electrical connectors within the can and electrically connected to the medical circuitry;
providing a connector enclosure that encloses lead connectors, the connector enclosure comprising a metallic body that includes an opening to a cavity defined by the metallic body, the metallic body having a peripheral lip with a lower edge;
providing lead connectors within the cavity and in alignment with the opening;
providing electrical conductors that are electrically connected to the lead connectors within the cavity and that are electrically isolated from the connector enclosure while being exposed outside of the metallic body;
placing the metallic edge of the can in contact with the lower edge of the lip of the metallic body such that the electrical connectors within the can and the electrical conductors exposed outside the metallic body are in contact and are contained by a housing created by the contact of the can and the metallic body; and
creating a metallic weld between the contact of the metallic edge of the can and the metallic body of the connector enclosure.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the can has an opening defined by the metallic edge and where creating the metallic weld is done so that the metallic body covers the opening.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the can is fully metallic.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the metallic body is fully metallic.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the metallic weld is a laser seam weld.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the metallic body comprises titanium.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the titanium is grade 5.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein the connector enclosure further comprises a titanium panel that covers the cavity.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the titanium panel is grade 1 titanium.

32. The method of claim 23 , wherein the base defines feedthrough passageways and wherein the electrical conductors are feedthrough pins.

33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising feedthrough capacitors that are electrically coupled between the feedthrough pins and the can.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Deininger Steven T
• Clayton Jeffrey J
• Peters Charles E

Classifications

• Y10T29/49117

  Conductor or circuit manufacturing · CPC title

• B23K2201/36

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• A61N1/3752 Primary

  Details of casing-lead connections · CPC title

• B23K2203/14

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B23K26/24

  Seam welding · CPC title