Evaluation of Commercial Connectors for Active Neural Implants

Multichannel connectors enable part-replacement of implanted active neural interfaces. For pre-clinical investigation, commercially available miniature connectors enable high channel counts with reduced size and cost. In this paper, Omnetics Nano Circular connectors were encapsulated with medical grade silicone, and assembled using an approach proposed used in surgery. Three 11-pin connectors were tested in PBS for 336 days with cyclic loading for a total of 66 days. A single connector failed with current leakage between channels due to moisture at the connecting interface, and with corrosion at 3 solder joints. The surviving connectors maintained a low contact impedance and high between-channel impedance over 336 days. Inspection of the failed sample emphasizes the need for stress relief near implanted connectors and void-free encapsulation.