Alarm for lead insulation abnormality

• US 10,265,520 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: The Spetranetics Corporation
• Inventors: Grace, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hulbert, Amanda K
• Application Number:
  US15/896,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1263 of solid or fluid materials, e.g. insulation films, bulk material; of semiconductors or LV electronic components or parts; of cable, line or wire insulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1272 of cable, line or wire insulation, e.g. using partial discharge measurements locating faults in cables G01R31/083

Abstract

A system is provided to determine whether an insulating layer of an implanted lead is damaged.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a sheath comprising;

an annulus to receive an implanted lead;

a distal tip; and

an electrically conductive structure forming the distal tip;

a sensor connected to the electrically conductive structure, wherein the sensor senses an irregularity in an insulating layer of the implanted lead and provides a changed electrical parameter; and

a controller connected to the sensor and operable to alert a user upon receiving the changed electrical parameter from the sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to:

(i) receive, from the sensor, the sensed, changed electrical parameter associated with the lead, (ii) compare the sensed, changed electrical parameter with one or more predetermined thresholds associated with an instance of an irregularity, and, (iii) based on the comparing step, determine whether the implanted lead has an irregularity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure comprises at least one conductive band around at least part of a circumference of the sheath.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one conductive band comprises a plurality of conductive bands positioned along a length of the sheath.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sheath further comprises a marker in spatial proximity to the electrically conductive structure.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further operable to detect, by the marker, an approximate position in a patient body of the irregularity.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is connected to a voltage source and the sensor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a conductor in the lead is connected to the sensor and wherein the electrically conductive structure is connected to a voltage source.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is a first electrically conductive structure, and the sheath further comprises:

a sidewall defining the annulus; and

a second electrically conductive structure disposed in the sidewall and connected to the first electrically conductive structure and the sensor.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is a separator for separating the implanted lead from scar tissue.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the separator is a dilator.