Patent ID: 6895276

Claim:
In an IPG comprising an IPG housing containing electronic circuitry and an IPG connector header having a header bore for receiving and making connection between a lead connector assembly of an implantable medical lead comprising a plurality of lead connector elements arranged in-line and separated by lead insulator elements, an improved IPG connector header comprising: a connector header base having an attachment surface shaped to be attached with a surface of the IPG housing, a header bore entrance into which the lead connector assembly is inserted to make the connection, and a cavity axially aligned with the header bore entrance; a first plurality of electrically conductive, header connector elements each having a connector element bore sized to receive and make electrical contact with a lead connector element; a second plurality of electrically insulating, flexible fluid seals each having a seal bore sized to receive a lead insulator element; interlocking means disposed between each adjoining one of the first plurality of header connector elements and the second plurality of fluid seals for interlocking the first plurality of header connector elements with the second plurality of fluid seals in a stack of alternating header connector elements and fluid seals to electrically insulate the header connector elements from one another with the connector element bores in axial alignment with the fluid seal bores to define a stack bore and stack axis; and means for maintaining the stack within the connector header base with the stack bore axially aligned with the header bore entrance to define the header bore for receiving the lead connector assembly with header connector elements in electrical contact with the lead connector elements and fluid seals in contact with lead insulator elements, wherein the first plurality of header connector elements is formed of a sidewall extending between first and second end walls forming an interior channel, and further comprises a continuous coil spring fitted into and retained by the interior channel, whereby turns of the coil spring bear against lead connector elements inserted into the header connector element bore.