Secondary header for an implantable medical device incorporating an ISO DF4 connector and connector cavity and/or an IS4 connector and connector cavity

Abstract

A secondary header for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) incorporates a secondary header plug configured for mating insertion into an AIMD ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity, a secondary header ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity, and at least one replacement lead connector cavity. The secondary header plug has four electrical contacts which correspond to four electrical contacts of the AIMD connector cavity. The secondary header connector cavity has less than four electrical contacts conductively coupled to the secondary header plug electrical contacts. The replacement lead connector cavity has at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to at least one electrical contact of the secondary header plug. An intermediate conformal section between the secondary header plug and a housing for the secondary header connector cavity places the secondary header connector cavity housing adjacent to an exterior surface of the AIMD.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A secondary header for an active implantable medical device (AIMD), the secondary header comprising:
 a) a proximal electrical contact plug having four electrical contacts and being configured for mating physical and electrical insertion into the AIMD ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity; 
 b) a primary connector cavity having less than four to zero primary electrical contacts conductively coupled to respective ones of the four electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug; and 
 c) at least one replacement connector cavity having one to four replacement electrical contacts not provided by the primary connector cavity, the one to four replacement electrical contacts being conductively coupled to respective electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug not conductively coupled to the less than four to zero primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity,; and 
 d) an energy dissipating surface electrically connected to from one to four primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity not conductively coupled to electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug, 
 e) wherein each of the four electrical contacts on the proximal electrical contact plug is either:
 i) only conductively coupled to a respective one of the less than four to zero primary contacts of the primary connector cavity, or 
 ii) only conductively coupled to a respective one of the one to four replacement electrical contacts of the replacement connector cavity. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The secondary header of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one replacement connector cavity incorporates an ISO IS-1 and/or a DF-1 connector cavity having one or two electrical contacts. 
     
     
       3. The secondary header of  claim 1 , having a low profile conforming shape including an intermediate conformal section between the proximal electrical contact plug and the primary and replacement connector cavities, wherein the low profile conforming shape is adapted for placing the secondary header adjacent to an exterior surface of an AIMD when the proximal electrical contact plug is placed within the AIMD connector cavity. 
     
     
       4. The secondary header of  claim 1 , including an energy dissipating surface electrically connected to from one to four primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity not conductively coupled to electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug. 
     
     
       5. The secondary header of claim  4  1, wherein. the energy dissipating surface is disposed on an exterior surface of the secondary header. 
     
     
       6. The secondary header of  claim 5 , wherein the energy dissipating surface substantially encircles at least a portion of the primary and replacement connector cavities. 
     
     
       7. The secondary header of  claim 5 , wherein the energy dissipating surface is disposed in a recess formed on the exterior surface of the secondary header. 
     
     
       8. The secondary header of claim  4  1, including a diverter circuit electrically connected between the energy dissipating surface and the from one to four primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity not conductively coupled to electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug. 
     
     
       9. The secondary header of  claim 8 , wherein the diverter circuit is selected from the group consisting of a short, a capacitor, an R-C circuit, an L-C trap, and an R-L-C circuit. 
     
     
       10. The secondary header of  claim 1 , including an RFID tag affixed to or embedded within the secondary header. 
     
     
       11. The secondary header of  claim 1 , wherein the primary connector cavity has no primary electrical contacts conductively coupled to any replacement electrical contact of the replacement connector cavity. 
     
     
       12. The secondary header of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity is electrically connected to an energy dissipating surface. 
     
     
       13. The secondary header of  claim 1  wherein the primary and replacement connector cavities are positioned side-by-side. 
     
     
       14. A secondary header connectable to an active implantable medical device (AIMD) incorporating a connector cavity having a plurality of electrical contacts, the secondary header comprising:
 a) a secondary header plug configured for mating physical and electrical insertion into an AIMD connector cavity, wherein the secondary header plug has a plurality of electrical contacts which correspond to the plurality of electrical contacts of the AIMD connector cavity; 
 b) a secondary header connector cavity disposed within a housing and having at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to a respective at least one electrical contact on the secondary header plug, wherein the secondary header connector cavity has the same physical dimensions as the AIMD connector cavity, and one or more electrical contacts, but less than the number of secondary header plug electrical contacts, conductively coupled to respective secondary header plug electrical contacts; and 
 c) an intermediate conformal section between the secondary header plug and the secondary header connector cavity housing, for placing the secondary header connector cavity housing adjacent to an exterior surface of an AIMD when the secondary header plug is placed within an AIMD connector cavity; and 
 d) at least one replacement lead connector cavity having at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to at least one secondary header plug electrical contact. 
 
     
     
       15. The secondary header of  claim 14 , wherein the secondary header connector cavity housing is spaced no more than 2 mm from the AIMD exterior surface. 
     
     
       16. The secondary header of  claim 14 , wherein the secondary header connector cavity housing has an exterior surface which tightly conforms to the adjacent AIMD exterior surface. 
     
     
       17. The secondary header of  claim 14 , including wherein the at least one replacement lead connector cavity resides within the secondary header connector cavity housing, the replacement lead connector cavity having at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to a respective at least one electrical contact on the secondary header plug. 
     
     
       18. The secondary header of  claim 14 , including an RFID tag affixed to or embedded within the secondary header. 
     
     
       19. The secondary header of  claim 14 , wherein:
 a) the secondary header plug has a plurality of electrical contacts which correspond to the plurality of electrical contacts of the AIMD connector cavity;   b) the secondary header connector cavity has the same physical dimensions as the AIMD connector cavity, and one or more electrical contacts, but less than the number of secondary header plug electrical contacts, conductively coupled to respective secondary header plug electrical contacts; and   c) including at least one replacement lead connector cavity having at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to at least one secondary header plug electrical contact.   
     
     
       20. The secondary header of claim  19  14, wherein the AIMD connector cavity comprises an ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity having four electrical contacts, wherein the secondary header plug is configured for mating physical and electrical insertion into the AIMD ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity, the secondary header plug having four electrical contacts which correspond to the four electrical contacts of the AIMD ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity, and wherein the secondary header connector cavity comprises a secondary header ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity having less than four electrical contacts conductively coupled to the secondary header plug electrical contacts. 
     
     
       21. The secondary header of  claim 20 , including a secondary header auxiliary plug configured for mating physical and electrical insertion into an AIMD ISO IS-1 or DF-1 connector cavity, and a pass-through lead connector cavity having at least one electrical contact conductively coupled to at least one electrical contact on the secondary header auxiliary plug. 
     
     
       22. The secondary header of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one replacement lead connector cavity incorporates one or more ISO IS-1 and/or DF-1 connector cavities. 
     
     
       23. The secondary header of claim  19  14, including an energy dissipating surface electrically connected to one or more electrical contacts of the secondary header connector cavity which are not conductively coupled to the secondary header plug electrical contacts. 
     
     
       24. The secondary header of  claim 23 , wherein the energy dissipating surface is either disposed on an exterior surface of a housing for the secondary header connector cavity housing, substantially encircles at least a portion of the secondary header connector cavity housing, or is disposed in a recess formed on the exterior surface of the secondary header connector cavity housing. 
     
     
       25. The secondary header of  claim 23 , including a diverter circuit electrically connected between the energy dissipating surface and the one or more electrical contacts of the secondary header connector cavity which are not conductively coupled to the secondary header plug electrical contacts. 
     
     
       26. The secondary header of  claim 25 , wherein the diverter circuit is selected from the group consisting of a short, a capacitor, an R-C circuit, an L-C trap, and an R-L-C circuit. 
     
     
       27. The secondary header of  claim 20 , wherein the secondary header ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity has no electrical contacts conductively coupled to any electrical contact on the secondary header plug. 
     
     
       28. The secondary header of  claim 27 , wherein at least one of the secondary header ISO DF4 or IS4 connector cavity electrical contacts is electrically disconnected from AIMD electronics while being electrically connected to an energy dissipating surface. 
     
     
       29. A secondary header that is connectable to a medical device, the secondary header comprising:
 a) at least a first connector cavity configured to receive and electrically connect to a first medical lead and a second connector cavity configured to receive and electrically connect to a second medical lead, 
 b) wherein X equals four, which comprises the number of electrical contacts provided by the first medical lead permanently connected to the first connector cavity, 
 c) wherein Y comprises the number of electrical contacts provided by the first medical lead that are inactive, and 
 d) wherein S comprises the number of active electrical contacts provided by the second medical lead permanently connected to the second connector cavity, such that S =Y, and S and Y are less than or equal to X and X is four; and 
 e) a secondary header plug permanently conductively coupled to the first and second connector cavities and having four electrical contacts defined by the equation (X−Y)+S =4, wherein the secondary header plug is adapted to be positioned within and electrically coupled to a connector port of a header block of a medical device,; and 
 f) an energy dissipating surface electrically connected to from one to four primary electrical contacts of the primary connector cavity not conductively coupled to electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug, 
 g) wherein each of the four electrical contacts on the secondary header plug is either:
 i) only conductively coupled to a respective one of the X−Y electrical contacts of the first connector cavity, or 
 ii) only conductively coupled to the S electrical contacts of the second connector cavity. 
 
 
     
     
       30. The secondary head of  claim 29 , wherein the secondary header plug and the connector port comply with ISO standard DF4 and IS4. 
     
     
       31. The secondary header of  claim 29 , wherein an active electrical connection of the second medical lead substitutes for a dysfunctional electrical connection of the first medical lead. 
     
     
       32. The secondary header of  claim 29 , wherein the active electrical contacts of the first and second medical leads are electrically connected to respective ones of the active electrical contacts of the secondary header plug. 
     
     
       33. A secondary header that is connectable to an active implantable medical device (AIMD), the secondary header comprising:
 a) a proximal electrical contact plug having X electrical contacts and being configured for mating physical and electrical insertion into a connector cavity of an implantable medical device; 
 b) a primary connector cavity having Y, which is less than X, primary electrical contact or contacts permanently conductively coupled to respective ones of the X electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug; and 
 c) at least one replacement connector cavity having N replacement electrical contact or contacts being the difference between the X electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug less the Y primary electrical contact or contacts of the primary connector cavity, the N replacement contact or contacts being permanently conductively coupled to electrical contact or contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug not permanently conductively coupled to the Y primary electrical contact or contacts of the primary connector cavity,; and 
 d) at least one energy dissipating surface electrically connected to the Y primary electrical contact or contacts of the primary connector cavity not permanently conductively coupled to the X electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug; 
 e) wherein each of the X electrical contacts on the proximal electrical contact plug is either:
 i) only conductively coupled to a respective one of the Y primary contacts of the primary connector cavity, or 
 ii) only conductively coupled to a respective one of the N electrical contacts of the replacement connector cavity. 
 
 
     
     
       34. The secondary header of  claim 33  wherein when Y equals zero, X equals N. 
     
     
       35. The secondary header of  claim 33  wherein the replacement connector cavity incorporates at least one ISO IS-1 and/or a DF-1 connector cavity. 
     
     
       36. The secondary header of  claim 33  having a low profile conforming shape including an intermediate conformal section between the proximal electrical contact plug and the primary and replacement connector cavities, wherein the low profile conforming shape is adapted for placing the secondary header adjacent to an exterior surface of an AIMD when the proximal electrical contact plug is placed within the AIMD connector cavity. 
     
     
       37. The secondary header of  claim 33  including at least one energy dissipating surface electrically connected to the Y primary electrical contact or contacts of the primary connector cavity not permanently conductively coupled to the X electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug. 
     
     
       38. The secondary header of claim  37  33 wherein the energy dissipating surface is disposed on an exterior surface of the secondary header. 
     
     
       39. The secondary header of claim  37  33 wherein the energy dissipating surface substantially encircles at least a portion of the primary and replacement connector cavities. 
     
     
       40. The secondary header of claim  37  33 wherein the energy dissipating surface is disposed in a recess formed on the exterior surface of the secondary header. 
     
     
       41. The secondary header of claim  37  33 including at least one diverter circuit electrically connected between the at least one energy dissipating surface and the Y primary electrical contact or contacts of the primary connector cavity not conductively coupled to the X electrical contacts of the proximal electrical contact plug. 
     
     
       42. The secondary header of  claim 41  wherein the diverter circuit is selected from the group consisting of a short, a capacitor, an R-C circuit, an L-C trap, and an R-L-C circuit. 
     
     
       43. The secondary header of  claim 33  including an RFID tag affixed to or embedded within the secondary header. 
     
     
       44. The secondary header of claim  43  33 wherein the primary and replacement connector cavities are positioned side-by-side. 
     
     
       45. The secondary header of claim 1, wherein the energy dissipating surface is of stainless steel or titanium. 
     
     
       46. The secondary header of claim 29, wherein the energy dissipating surface is of stainless steel or titanium. 
     
     
       47. The secondary header of claim 33, wherein the energy dissipating surface is of stainless steel or titanium.