THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR/CABLE CONCEPT APPLICABLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF IMPLANTED MEDICAL DEVICES.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR/CABLE CONCEPT APPLICABLE TO A WIDE VARIETY OF IMPLANTED MEDICAL DEVICES. THESE WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TOORIGINAL MANUFACTURERS OF CLINICAL DEVICES AND TO INSTITU- TIONS ENGAGED IN EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH. IN THE PHASE I PROGRAM, THE CONCEPT'S BASIC DESIGN WILL BE OPTIMIZED, PROTOTYPE PARTS BUILT, AND IN VITRO DEMONSTRATION TESTS CONDUCTED. AN EXISTING CONNECTOR CONCEPT THAT HAS UNDERGONEEXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT BY NIMBUS WILL BE USED AS THE DESIGN BASIS. THIS DESIGN WILL BE REFINED THROUGH UTILIZATION OF AUNIQUE MECHANICAL CAPTURE AT THE BOOT/CONNECTOR SEAL, FURTHER MINIATURIZATION OF THE MECHANICAL ELEMENTS, ADAPTA- TION TO MORE CONDUCTORS, AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE MOISTURE BARRIER AND SEALING APPROACHES. CONNECTOR/CABLE ASSEMBLIES WILL BE FABRICATED AND SUBJECTED TO MECHANICAL LOAD CYCLING AND THE SALT WATER BATH EXPOSURE TEST. COMPLETION OF PHASE I SHOULD PROVIDE A BASIS FOR FINALIZATION OF THE DESIGN OF ALINE OF CONNECTOR/CABLE UNITS. THIS WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED IN PHASE II. ALSO IN PHASE II, SAMPLE UNITS WILL BE FABRICATED AND SUBJECTED TO AN EXTENSIVE QUALIFICATION TEST PROGRAM INVOLVING BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO METHODS. WITH THE COMPLETION OF PHASE II, A SUFFICIENT DATABASE SHOULD EXIST, AND THE TECHNICAL MERIT OF THE CONCEPT SHOULD BE FULLY DEMONSTRATED; THUS COMMERCIALIZATION OF A CONNECTOR/ CABLE PRODUCT CAN BE PURSUED. THIS PROGRAM ADDRESSES TECHNICAL PROBLEMS THAT ARE MOST PREVALENT IN THE DEVELOP- MENT AND APPLICATION OF IMPLANTED ELECTRICAL DEVICES. THE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS RESULTING FROM THIS PROGRAM SHOULDSOLVE THESE PROBLEMS.