Connector for an implantable medical device

Abstract

A connector assembly for an implantable medical device with hardware components placed in established physical locations within the polymer of the connector, and a method of making the assembly. One embodiment includes a method that involves forming a first shot, coupling at least one hardware component to the first shot to form a subassembly, placing the subassembly between a set of opposing areas of a mold, moving at least one of the areas of the set of opposed areas of the mold to constrain the subassembly within the mold, and introducing a second shot over at least a portion of the subassembly to form the connector.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A connector comprising:
 a first component;   at least one hardware component coupled to the first component;   a second component that at least partially encapsulates the first component and the at least one hardware component;   at least one pair of opposing areas on the first component, each area are positioned opposed to each other and not encapsulated by the second component; and   a knit line delineating an interface between the first and second components to form the connector for an implantable medical device.   
     
     
         12 . The connector of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one hardware component being an antenna. 
     
     
         13 . The connector of  claim 12 , wherein the first component includes a channel for accepting and holding the antenna. 
     
     
         14 . The connector of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second components comprise one of polyurethane and polysulfone. 
     
     
         15 . The connector of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one hardware component comprises one of a setscrew block, a multi-beam contact, and an interconnect ribbon. 
     
     
         16 . The connector of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one hardware component being one of a sensor to sense a physiological parameter and a radio frequency identification tag. 
     
     
         17 . A connector comprising:
 a first component;   a hardware component comprising at least one of a setscrew block, an interconnect ribbon, a multibeam contact, and an antenna;   a second component that at least partially encapsulates the first component and the hardware component;   at least one pair of opposing areas on the first component wherein the areas not encapsulated by the second component; and   a knit line delineating an interface between the first and the second components to form the connector for an implantable medical device.   
     
     
         18 . The connector of  claim 17 , wherein the first component includes a channel having ridges to either side of the channel for accepting and holding the antenna. 
     
     
         19 . The connector of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second components comprising one of polyurethane and polysulfone. 
     
     
         20 . The connector of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second components comprise a same thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         21 . The connector of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second components comprise different thermoplastic materials. 
     
     
         22 . A system for forming a connector to couple a lead to a housing of an implantable medical device, the system comprises:
 a first component;   an antenna coupled to the first component;   a second component that at least partially encapsulates the first component and the antenna;   at least one pair of opposing areas on the first component wherein the areas not encapsulated by the second component; and   a knit line delineating an interface between the first and the second components.