Body implantable lead comprising electrically conductive polymer conductors

• US 20040068313A1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Williams, Sheldon, Jenney, Christopher R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems

Abstract

A body implantable lead includes a lead body comprising an insulative housing containing at least one conductive polymer conductor terminating within a distal end portion of the lead body at an electrode structure carried by the distal end portion of the lead body. The electrode structure is positioned to contact body tissue to be electrically stimulated and/or sensed. The electrode structure electrically communicates with the at least one conductive polymer conductor by means of an electrically conductive interconnect penetrating the at least one conductive polymer conductor. The at least one conductive polymer conductor terminates within a proximal end portion of the lead body at a terminal contact adapted to be electrically connected to an electrically stimulating/sensing medical device.

Also disclosed are connector assembly, tip electrode and ring electrode structures adapted to be coupled to an implantable lead body containing a conductive polymer conductor.

Claims

1. An implantable lead comprising:

a longitudinally extending lead body comprising a housing of insulative material, the housing defining at least one longitudinally extending passage containing an electrically conductive polymer conductor extending from a connector assembly carried by a proximal end portion of the lead body to a distal end portion of the lead body;

at least one electrode carried by the distal end portion of the lead body, said at least one electrode being adapted to perform one or more of the functions consisting of pacing, sensing, cardioversion and defibrillation; and

an electrically conductive interconnect providing electrical communication between said conductive polymer conductor and said at least one electrode.

2. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the housing and the electrically conductive polymer conductor comprise a co-extruded structure.

3. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the interconnect comprises a pin having an end penetrating the conductive polymer conductor.

4. The lead of claim 3 in which:

the end of the pin is barbed to facilitate insertion of the pin into the conductive polymer conductor but resist withdrawal therefrom.

5. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the at least one longitudinally extending passage comprises a lumen defined by the housing.

6. The lead of claim 5 further comprising:

a plurality of electrodes carried by the distal end portion of the lead body;

and in which;

the housing comprises a plurality of parallel lumens, each of said plurality of lumens containing a conductive polymer conductor, an electrically conductive interconnect providing electrical communication between each of the conductive polymer conductors and a corresponding electrode.

7. The lead of claim 6 further comprising:

a longitudinally extending lumen defined by the housing for guiding a lead-positioning stylet.

8. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the housing and the at least one longitudinally extending passage comprise a coaxial structure.

9. The lead of claim 8 further comprising:

a plurality of electrodes carried by the distal end portion of the lead body;

and in which;

the coaxial structure comprises alternating insulative and conductive polymer conductor layers, an electrically conductive interconnect providing electrical communication between each of the conductive polymer conductor layers and a corresponding electrode.

10. The lead of claim 9 further comprising:

a longitudinally extending lumen defined by the housing for guiding a lead-positioning stylet.

11. The lead of claim 10 further comprising:

a low friction liner within the longitudinally extending lumen.

12. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the at least one electrode comprises a tip electrode.

13. The lead of claim 1 in which:

the at least one electrode comprises at least one ring structure.

14. The lead of claim 13 in which:

the at least one ring electrode comprises a clamshell structure comprising at least two arcuate sections disposed about an outer surface of the distal end portion of the housing.

15. The lead of claim 14 in which:

the arcuate ring electrode sections have ends joined by electrically conductive bonds to form a complete ring.

16. The lead of claim 13 in which:

the at least one ring electrode is bonded by medical adhesive to an outer surface of the distal end portion of the housing.

17. A body implantable lead comprising:

a lead body comprising an insulative housing containing at least one conductive polymer conductor terminating within a distal end portion of the lead body at an electrode structure carried by the distal end portion of the lead body, said electrode structure being positioned to contact body tissue to be electrically stimulated and/or sensed, said electrode structure electrically communicating with the at least one conductive polymer conductor by means of an electrically conductive interconnect penetrating said at least one conductive polymer conductor, said at least one conductive polymer conductor terminating within a proximal end portion of the lead body at a terminal contact adapted to be electrically connected to an electrically stimulating/sensing medical device.

18. The lead of claim 17 in which:

the at least one conductive polymer conductor is contained within a longitudinally extending passage defined by the housing.

19. The lead of claim 18 in which:

the housing and the at least one conductive polymer conductor comprise a co-extruded structure.

20. The lead of claim 18 in which:

the housing and the at least one longitudinally extending passage comprise a coaxial structure.

21. The lead of claim 18 in which:

the housing and the at least one longitudinally extending passage comprise a multilumen structure.

22. The lead of claim 17 in which:

the electrode structure comprises a tip electrode.

23. The lead of claim 17 in which:

the electrode structure comprises at least one ring electrode.

24. The lead of claim 17 in which:

the electrode structure comprises a tip electrode and at least one ring electrode.

25. An implantable lead comprising:

a lead body comprising a multilumen housing of insulative material, the lead body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;

at least one electrode carried by the distal end portion of the lead body for performing one or more of the functions consisting of pacing, sensing, cardioversion and defibrillation; and

at least one of the lumens of the housing containing an electrically conductive polymer conductor extending between a connector assembly on the proximal end portion of the lead body and the distal end portion of the lead body, the electrically conductive polymer conductor within said at least one of the lumens being electrically connected to the at least one electrode.

26. The implantable lead of claim 25 in which:

the lead body housing and the electrically conductive polymer conductor comprises a coextruded structure.

27. The implantable lead of claim 25 in which:

the at least one electrode is made of metal.

28. The implantable lead of claim 25 in which:

the at least one electrode is electrically connected to said electrically conductive polymer conductor by an electrically conductive interconnect extending through an outer wall of the housing.

29. The implantable lead of claim 28 in which:

the at least one electrode has an inner surface engaging an outer surface of the distal end portion of the housing; and

said interconnect comprises a pin projecting from the inner surface of the electrode, said pin securing said at least one electrode at a selected position along the distal end portion of the lead body.

30. The implantable lead of claim 29 in which:

the pin includes a barbed end.

31. The implantable lead of claim 28 in which:

the at least one electrode comprises a ring electrode, said ring electrode having an aperture; and

in which said interconnect comprises a headed, electrically conductive pin extending through said aperture.

32. The implantable lead of claim 31 in which:

the headed pin has a barbed inner extremity facilitating insertion of said pin through the outer wall of said housing and into said conductive polymer conductor but resisting withdrawal thereof, said barbed extremity securing said at least one electrode at a selected position along the distal end portion of the lead body.

33. The implantable lead of claim 25 in which:

said at least one electrode extends at least partially around the outer surface of the housing and in which the electrode is electrically connected to the conductive polymer conductor by an interconnect extending through an outer wall of said housing.

34. The implantable lead of claim 33 in which:

the at least one electrode comprises a ring electrode and in which the interconnect comprises a headed pin extending through an aperture in said ring electrode.

35. The implantable lead of claim 34 in which:

the headed pin has an inner barbed end facilitating insertion thereof through the outer wall of the housing and into the conductive polymer but resisting withdrawal thereof, said headed pin securing said at least one electrode at a selected position along the distal end portion of the lead body.

36. The implantable lead of claim 25 in which:

the at least one electrode comprises a tip electrode.

37. The implantable lead of claim 36 in which:

an interconnect inserted into the electrically conductive polymer conductor in said at least one of the lumens electrically connects the tip electrode with said conductive polymer conductor.

38. The implantable lead of claim 37 in which:

the interconnect has a barbed inner extremity facilitating insertion of the interconnect into said conductive polymer conductor but resisting withdrawal thereof.

39. The implantable lead of claim 25 further comprising:

a central lumen adapted to receive and guide a lead-positioning stylet.

40. The implantable lead of claim 39 in which:

the central lumen is lined with a low friction material.

41. The implantable lead of claim 40 in which:

the low friction material comprises PTFE.

42. The implantable lead of claim 25 which further comprises:

a connector assembly coupled to the proximal end portion of the lead body, the connector assembly including a contact terminal and a pin inserted into the conductive polymer conductor in said at least one lumen, the pin electrically coupling the contact terminal and the conductive polymer conductor.

43. The implantable lead of claim 42 in which:

the pin has a barbed inner extremity facilitating insertion of the interconnect into said conductive polymer conductor but resisting withdrawal thereof.

44. An implantable lead comprising:

a multilumen lead body housing of insulative material, the housing having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, at least two electrically conductive electrodes disposed along an outer surface of the distal portion of the housing and spaced apart there along, each of said at least two electrodes being adapted to perform one or more of the functions consisting of pacing, sensing, cardioversion and defibrillation; and

at least two of the lumens of the housing each containing an electrically conductive polymer conductor extending between a connector assembly on the proximal end portion of the housing and the distal end portion of the housing, the electrically conductive polymer conductor within one of said lumens being electrically connected to one of the electrodes, and the electrically conductive polymer within another of said at least two lumens being electrically connected to a second electrode.

45. The lead of claim 44 in which:

the housing and the conductive polymer conductors within the at least two lumens of the housing comprise a co-extruded structure.

46. The lead of claim 44 in which:

the electrical connection between each conductive polymer conductor and a corresponding electrode comprises an interconnect pin having an inner end penetrating the conductive polymer conductor.

47. The lead of claim 46 in which:

the inner end of each interconnect pin is barbed to facilitate insertion of the pin into the conductive polymer conductor but resist its withdrawal therefrom.

48. The lead of claim 44 further comprising:

a longitudinally extending lumen defined by the housing for guiding a lead-positioning stylet.

49. The lead of claim 48 further comprising:

a low friction liner within the longitudinally extending lumen.

50. The lead of claim 44 in which:

the at least two electrically conductive electrodes comprise ring electrodes.

51. A connector assembly adapted to be coupled to the proximal end of an implantable lead body containing a conductive polymer conductor, the connector assembly extending along a longitudinal axis, the assembly comprising:

an insulative body disposed concentrically about said longitudinal axis, the insulative body having a distal end and a socket adjacent said distal end for receiving the proximal end of the lead body, the socket having a transverse end wall carrying at least one interconnect pin having a longitudinally extending distal portion projecting into the socket for penetrating the conductive polymer conductor when the proximal end of the lead body is in place within the socket, the insulative body further having a proximal end carrying a longitudinally extending terminal contact pin, said terminal contact pin being electrically connected to said interconnect pin.

52. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which:

the socket is defined by an electrically conductive tube concentric with said longitudinal axis.

53. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which:

the socket comprises a counterbore formed in the distal end of the insulative body.

54. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which the implantable lead body contains a second conductive polymer conductor, and further in which:

the insulative body has an outer wall carrying a terminal contact electrically connected to a second interconnect pin carried by the transverse end wall of the socket, the second interconnect pin having a longitudinally extending distal portion projecting into the socket for penetrating the second conductive polymer conductor when the proximal end of the lead body is in place within the socket.

55. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which:

the interconnect pin includes a barbed distal extremity facilitating insertion of the proximal end of the lead body into the socket but resisting withdrawal therefrom.

56. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which:

the connector assembly is configured to conform to the IS-1 standard.

57. The connector assembly of claim 51 in which:

the socket is configured to matingly receive the proximal end of the lead body in a unique angular orientation.

58. A tip electrode adapted to be coupled to the distal end of an implantable lead body containing a conductive polymer conductor, the tip electrode extending along a longitudinal axis, the tip electrode comprising:

an electrically conductive tube disposed concentrically with the longitudinal axis, the tube defining a socket for receiving the distal end of the lead body, the tube having a distal extremity including a transverse distal end wall carrying a proximally projecting electrically conductive interconnect pin extending into the socket for penetrating the conductive polymer conductor when the distal end of the lead body is in place within the socket; and

a tip electrode body secured to the distal extremity of the tube in electrical communication therewith.

59. The tip electrode of claim 58 in which:

the interconnect pin has a barbed proximal extremity facilitating insertion of the distal end of the lead body into the socket but resisting withdrawal thereof.

60. A ring electrode adapted to be positioned along the outer surface of an outer wall of an implantable lead body containing a conductive polymer conductor, the ring electrode comprising:

an inner surface adapted to engage the outer surface of the lead body; and

an interconnect pin projecting inwardly from the inner surface of the ring electrode, the interconnect pin being adapted to pierce the outer wall of said lead body and penetrate the conductive polymer conductor.

61. The ring electrode of claim 60 in which:

the ring electrode comprises a clamshell structure including at least two arcuate sections.

62. The ring electrode of claim 61 in which:

the arcuate ring electrode sections have ends adapted to be joined by electrically conductive bonds to form a complete ring.

63. The ring electrode of claim 60 in which:

the interconnect pin is barbed to facilitate its insertion into the conductive polymer conductor but resist the withdrawal thereof.

64. The ring electrode of claim 60 in which:

the ring electrode includes an aperture; and

the interconnect pin is adapted to be inserted through the aperture of the ring electrode and to pierce the outer wall of the lead body and penetrate the conductive polymer conductor.

65. The ring electrode of claim 64 in which:

the ring electrode includes as outer surface; and

the interconnect pin has an enlarged head for engaging the outer surface of the ring electrode when the pin is fully inserted within the conductive polymer conductor.