Patent ID: 8267708

Claim:
An implantable electrical connector assembly for separably connecting an implantable multi-conductor lead to an implantable device having electronic circuitry contained inside a hermetically sealed case, comprising: (a) a hermetic electrical feedthrough comprising a housing having a side wall and a threaded central protrusion, the side wall having a lead exit slot; a dielectric substrate having an exterior side, an interior side, and a central hole; and a plurality of conductive feedthrough pins hermetically sealed in the dielectric substrate; the hermetic feedthrough having an exterior cavity formed by the exterior side of the dielectric substrate and the adjoining surfaces of the side wall and the central protrusion of the feedthrough housing; the feedthrough pins providing pass-through connections from the exterior cavity to the electronic circuitry in the interior of the implantable device; (b) an implantable multi-conductor lead comprising a proximal contact terminal having a body with a substantially flat bottom and a central through-hole; the contact terminal comprising a plurality of lead contacts, each lead contact connected to at least one conductor of the multi-conductor lead, the lead contacts exposed from the bottom of the lead terminal body and disposed in a pattern mapped directly to the plurality of the feedthrough pins; (c) a plurality of compressible contacts, each compressible contact conductively integrated with the respective feedthrough pin to form a compressible contact assembly which protectively accommodates the compressible contact, the compressible contact having an inner end and an outer end, the outer end adapted to making a separable electrical connection to the corresponding lead contact when the connector is pressurized; (d) a sealing means adapted to provide an electrical isolation of each separable electrical connection when the connector is pressurized; and (e) a threaded clamping cover cooperating with the threaded central protrusion of the feedthrough housing to pressurize the connector, whereby when the cover is clamped to the feedthrough housing over the lead terminal, the lead contacts are forcibly mated with the compressible contacts and the sealing means is activated by being compressed against the exterior side of the dielectric substrate.