Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Structure of body-contacting electrode or electrode inserted...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-17
2003-12-30
Peffley, Michael (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Structure of body-contacting electrode or electrode inserted...
C439S885000, C439S909000, C607S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671534
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is related generally to electrical connectors for medical use and, more particularly, to medical connectors for multi-contact medical electrodes for use in facilitating surgical procedures.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of multi-contact medical electrodes, including depth electrodes, subdural strip electrodes and grid electrodes, are placed in the human body for various purposes, such as brain-mapping in epilepsy treatment. The plurality of wires necessarily extending from such electrodes typically lead to a plural-contact tail, which is a linear dielectric member with a linear array of sleeve-like contacts spaced therealong. Such plural-contact tails of multi-contact medical electrodes have been electrically joined to other equipment, such as monitoring equipment, by means of connectors designed specifically to accommodate such tails.
Many different connectors have been developed to facilitate such plural-contact connection. Examples of such prior plural-contact medical connectors are those disclosed in the following United States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,359 (Putz), U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,255 (Putz), U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,371 (Harris), U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,358 (Arnold et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,236 (Iversen), U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,820 (Kuzma), U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,557 (Harris), U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,304 (Kuperstein), U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,462 (Borkan et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,889 (Talalla et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,258 (Inokuchi et al.).
Certain medical connectors of the prior art have a number of shortcomings and problems. Some prior connectors generally require a number of manual steps to operate, even for the final step of causing simultaneous electrical connection of the plural contacts. One-handed connection and disconnection may not be readily possible. Some prior devices require multiple parts which add to their complexity of operation.
Simplicity in structure and operation is particularly important considering that connection and disconnection typically occurs in a surgical setting, in which a surgeon or other doctor must be giving great attention to many other factors. Complexity in parts and operational procedures is a significant shortcoming, one which is important by medical personnel involved.
Maintaining reliable and constant connection throughout the period of use is another important consideration. Connectors which tend to provide electrical contact which is variable, depending on factors such as the degree of tightening, can be problematic. Still another shortcoming of certain prior art connectors is the lack of a definitive indication that electrical connection has been accomplished and put into effect.
Another concern with certain medical connectors for multi-contact electrodes, particularly in situations involving seizure disorders, is that devices essential to proper electrical connections can too easily be destroyed by inadvertent motions. More specifically, the plural-contact tails of multi-contact electrodes can break, or their plural contacts become dislodged, when forceful inadvertent yanking or pulling motions occur, as can occur during seizures. This is not a simple problem, because destruction of a plural-contact tail may make it difficult or impossible for a physician or technician to ascertain the proper association of contact leads with in-body contacts, and this makes further reliable use difficult or impossible for the in-body electrode associated with the destroyed plural-contact tail.
In summary, there remains a number of problems and shortcomings in prior connectors for use with multi-contact medical electrodes.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved connector for multi-contact medical electrodes overcoming some of the problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connector which is simple in structure and operation in order to facilitate operations, including during surgery.
Another object is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connector requiring fewer manual steps to accomplish and secure electrical connection.
Another object is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connector which provides for locking the components in position after connection.
Another object is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connector which gives highly reliable electrical connections with minimal effort.
Another object is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connector which gives a definitive indication of the completion of electrical connection.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved multi-contact medical connection which is less susceptible to destruction of key connection parts due to inadvertent yanking, as can occur by virtue of seizure disorders.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following descriptions and from the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is an improved electrical connector for in-body multi-contact medical electrodes having linear-array plural-contact tails. The electrical connector is of the type having a tail-receiving member and means for connection of all contacts. The improved multi-contact medical connector of this invention includes a tail-receiving member having an elongate tail-receiving void which receives the tail. The void defines an internal surface along which an array of electrical conductors are positioned. The conductors are biased toward the void to facilitate electrical engagement with the plural contacts of the tail when the tail is inserted into the void. The connector further includes a lock positioned within the tail-receiving member and moveable between an unlocked position and a locked position wherein the lock engages the tail and prevents the tail from being removed from the tail-receiving member. In preferred embodiments, the lock is positioned adjacent to the void and opposite from the array of conductors and engages the tail within the void. The lock preferably forces the tail against the internal surface when the lock is in the locked position. At the same time, the lock forces the contacts into the conductors. When in the unlocked position the electrical conductors are just beyond center with respect to the plural contacts of the tail, thereby providing reliable electrical contact.
The lock preferably comprises a rod and cams, the cams preferably being positioned in alignment with the conductors. The rod is movable in the tail-receiving member between unlocked and locked positions so that in the unlocked position the cams do not extend into the void and in the locked position the plunger forces the cams to extend into the void and force the contacts against the conductors. It is most preferable that the cam shaft is rotatable between the unlocked and locked positions so that in the unlocked position the cams do not extend into the void and in the locked position the cams extend into the void and force the contacts against the conductors.
A highly preferred embodiment of the invention includes a knob connected to the cam shaft to facilitate one-handed rotation of the cam shaft.
It is also preferred that the plural contacts of the tail are annular sleeves having necked-in ends, thereby allowing quick withdrawal of the plural-contact tail from the connector when in the unlocked position.
The tail-receiving member preferably has proximal and distal ends and the void extends from an opening at the proximal end to a stop near the distal end.
In a highly preferred embodiment, the electrical conductors are spring-loaded ball plungers. In such an embodiment the tail-receiving member defines wells along the internal surface holding the spring-loaded ball plungers and the ball plungers protrude beyond the internal surface into the internal space in the unlocked position.
The preferred method of securing connection between the medical electrode plural-contact tail and the tail-receiving member comprises: providing an array of electrical conductors posi
Ad-Tech Medical Instrument Corporation
Jansson & Shupe & Munger Ltd.
Peffley Michael
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