JPS6129171Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lead wire connector for electrically connecting each component in a living body implantable electronic device composed of each component existing separately. The purpose is to easily and centrally secure connections between each lead wire at one location. A further object is to facilitate inspection of the failure location when a failure occurs in the device, that is, in each element.

In recent years, along with advances in plastic surgery, rapid advances in biocompatible materials and microelectronic components, the development of electronic devices implanted in living bodies has progressed rapidly, and various devices have been proposed. If this device is a single integrated device, connecting the lead wires in the living body will not be a problem, but since integration is difficult or impossible, if the device is composed of each element, , it is necessary to connect each component with a lead wire.

When implanting such a device in a living body, it is conceivable to implant each component in a predetermined part of the living body with wires connected in advance. In practice, surgery is difficult, and it is surgically preferable to connect each component after implanting and fixing each component at a predetermined site.

Conventionally, there are several known methods for connecting leads, such as tying the leads together, soldering, and connecting the leads together with metal terminals. However, due to the special nature of implantation in the body, the lead must be covered with a tube made of a biocompatible material such as silicone resin or fluororesin, and the gaps in the tube must be sealed with a biocompatible resin to provide insulation. Therefore, in any of the above-mentioned methods, the lead must be connected at each site and then insulated, which requires a long surgical procedure, which is troublesome and unbearable, and the insulation treatment is not very reliable.

This invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks by making connections between each lead wire easier and ensuring sufficient insulation by making connections between each lead wire at one place using a single connector. .

A preferred example of the present invention is an implantable hearing aid. This is an ultra-compact hearing aid that is implanted into a living body, and basically consists of a sound processing unit consisting of a microphone, an amplifier, etc., a battery as a power source, and a driving transducer as an electrical and mechanical signal converter. It is composed of four elements. Classified by method, there are methods in which only the drive transducer is placed inside the body and other elements are placed outside the body and signals are sent to the drive transducer through electromagnetic coupling, and methods in which a microphone, amplifier, and drive transducer are From so-called semi-implantable methods, such as placing only the battery implanted inside the body outside the body to facilitate battery replacement,
Several methods are possible, including a fully implantable hearing aid in which all four elements are implanted in the body, but in any case, this implantable hearing aid is suitable for patients whose acoustic signals do not efficiently reach the inner ear due to defects in the outer or middle ear. It is used for signal transmission instead of that of . In either method, the driving transducer must be fixed at a location where it can drive the inner ear lymph fluid. On the other hand, when implanting a microphone into a living body,
It is necessary to implant it as close to the skin as possible at a site where acoustic vibrations can be easily detected, for example, on the side wall of the external auditory canal. Therefore, it is impossible or difficult to integrate all the elements that make up an implantable hearing aid. Therefore, the elements that must be implanted in each site must be connected using lead wires.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the state in which the connector of the present invention is used in a fully implantable hearing aid. The function of the hearing aid will be briefly described. The sound that enters the microphone 1 is converted into an electrical signal through the sound processing unit 2 including an amplifier, and is transmitted to the drive transducer 3. The vibration generated in the drive transducer 3 is transmitted to the stapes 4, and finally This effectively drives the inner ear lymph fluid. Note that 5 is a battery, and 6 is a switch, which are integrated with the sound processing section 2.
7 is a connector for connecting the lead wire of the present invention, 8 is an external auditory canal, 9 is an eardrum, 10 is a middle ear cavity, and 11 is a cochlea.

2 and 3 are a partially cutaway plan view and a vertical sectional view of the connector 7. FIG. 7A is the case body of the connector 7, and the lead wire connection terminal 7B is inside.
has been established. A desired number of connection terminals 7B may be provided depending on the number of lead wires to be connected. 7
C is a terminal block and supports the connection terminal 7B. Although a screw is used as the lead wire connection terminal 7B in this embodiment, it may be of a contact type or a crimp type. In short, any material that can connect and fix the lead wire is sufficient. Note that silver, stainless steel, etc. are used as materials in consideration of biocompatibility. 7D is a lid portion. The case body 7A and the lid portion 7D are coupled and fixed by a fixing screw 7E. The tip of the fixed mounting screw 7E is further screwed into the bone of the living body,
The connector will therefore be fixed. Note that the fixed mounting screw 7E is also naturally made of a biocompatible material such as stainless steel or ceramic. Further, the case body 7A, the lid part 7D, and the terminal block 7C are preferably made of a biocompatible material as transparent as possible, such as acrylic resin or transparent ceramic, so that the inside of the connector can be seen.

Next, the assembly of the connector according to the present invention will be described. Lead wires 12 to be connected first
are fixed to the respective connection terminals 7B to achieve mutual electrical continuity. Thereafter, the inside of the case is filled with a biocompatible transparent soft resin 7F that hardens at room temperature, such as silicone resin, and after ensuring sufficient insulation, the lid 7D is placed over the case body 7A. Finally, the connector is attached and fixed to the bone using the fixed attachment screw 7E.

As described above, the present invention enables the connection of the lead wires that provide electrical continuity between the various elements constituting the biological implantable electronic device at one place.
It is very convenient for surgical implantation. Moreover, since the lead wires can be connected at one place, insulation can be ensured at only one place, and the possibility of insulation failure is significantly reduced, which is convenient for work.
In addition, if a failure occurs after implantation, for the lead wire connection, remove the fixing screw of the connector, remove the lid, and then cut open the filled resin with a surgical instrument or special tool. By exposing each terminal, it is easy to check for failures.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing how the connector of the present invention is used. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is also a longitudinal sectional view. 7A: Case body, 7B: Lead wire connection terminal,
7D: Lid, 7E: Fixed mounting screw.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] In a living body implantable electronic device consisting of each component that exists separately, a case body 7A having a lid portion 7D, a desired number of internal lead wire connection terminals 7B, The lid part 7D
and a fixing screw 7E for attaching and fixing the case body 7A to a living body part, the inside of the connector is filled with a transparent soft resin that cures at room temperature and is biocompatible. and a connector in which the lid portion 7D is made of a transparent body.