Implantable electrical lead wire

• US 20050084672A1
• Filed: 10/20/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch-Hittman, Inc. (Integer Holdings Corporation Inc)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch-Hittman, Inc. (Integer Holdings Corporation Inc)
• Inventors: O'Brien, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US10/969,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20050084672A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/364
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/562 for coating elongated substrates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 Rod, strand, filament or fiber

Abstract

Implantable electrical lead wires, such as cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy wires, are coated with a metal, ceramic, or carbon to a thickness of about 100 nm or less to provide a non-reactive interface to polyurethane sheathing materials. Preferred is sputter coating an amorphous carbon intermediate the alloy wire and the polyurethane sheath.

Claims

1. A deformable substrate, which comprises:

a) the substrate comprised of an alloy including at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium;

b) an elastomeric material at least partially covering the substrate; and

c) a coating of an inert material provided on at least a portion of the substrate covered by the elastomeric material, wherein the intermediate inert material prevents interaction of the at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium with the elastomeric material.

2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the inert material is coated on the substrate to a thickness before completion of an island coalescence phase with islands of the inert material adhering to the alloy, but not to each other.

3. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the inert coating is up to about 100 nm thick.

4. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the inert material is selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, turbostratic carbon, diamond-like carbon, titanium, platinum, iridium, tantalum, palladium, niobium, gold, titanium nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and mixtures thereof.

5. The substrate of claim 1 comprising a wire in the form of a helical strand.

6. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the alloy of the substrate is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, ELGILOY, MP35N, and DBS/MP.

7. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric material is selected from silicone and polyurethane.

8. An electrical lead, which comprises:

a) the electrical lead comprised of an alloy including at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium;

b) a sheath of an elastomeric material at least partially housing the lead;

c) an electrode at a distal end of the lead;

d) an electrical connector coupled to a proximal end of the lead; and

e) a coating of a carbonaceous material provided on at least a portion of the lead housed within the elastomeric sheath, wherein the intermediate carbonaceous material prevents interaction of the at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium with the elastomeric sheath.

9. The lead of claim 8 wherein the carbonaceous material is coated on the lead to a thickness before completion of an island coalescence phase with islands of the carbonaceous material adhering to the alloy, but not to each other.

10. The lead of claim 8 wherein the carbonaceous coating is about 10 nm to about 50 nm thick.

11. The lead of claim 8 wherein the carbonaceous material is selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, turbostratic carbon, diamond-like carbon, and mixtures thereof.

12. The lead of claim 8 wherein the lead comprises a helical strand.

13. The lead of claim 12 wherein the helical strand is of a wire about 0.002 inches to about 0.005 inches in diameter.

14. The lead of claim 12 wherein the helical strand in about 0.015 inches to about 0.030 inches in diameter.

15. The lead of claim 8 wherein the alloy of the lead is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, ELGILOY, MP35N, and DBS/MP.

16. The lead of claim 8 wherein the elastomeric material is selected from silicone and polyurethane.

17. An implantable electrical lead, which comprises:

a) a wire conductor of an alloy including at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium in the form of a helical strand;

b) an insulative sheath of polyurethane at least partially encasing the wire conductor;

c) an electrode at a distal end of the wire conductor and an electrical connector coupled to a proximal end thereof; and

d) a coating of an inert material provided on at least a portion of the wire conductor covered by the polyurethane, wherein the intermediate inert material prevents interaction of the at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium with the polyurethane.

18. The lead of claim 17 wherein the inert material is coated on the lead to a thickness before completion of an island coalescence phase with islands of the inert material adhering to the alloy, but not to each other.

19. The lead of claim 17 wherein inert coating is up to about 100 nm thick.

20. The lead of claim 17 wherein the inert material is selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, turbostratic carbon, diamond-like carbon, titanium, platinum, iridium, tantalum, palladium, niobium, gold, titanium nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and mixtures thereof.

21. The lead of claim 17 comprising a wire about 0.002 inches to about 0.005 inches in diameter as a helical strand.

22. The lead of claim 21 wherein the helical strand in about 0.015 inches to about 0.030 inches in diameter.

23. The lead of claim 21 wherein the lead is selected from stainless steel, ELGILOY, MP35N, and DBS/MP.

24. The lead of claim 21 wherein the elastomeric material is selected from silicone and polyurethane.

25. A method for providing a deformable substrate, comprising the steps of:

a) providing the substrate comprising an alloy including at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium;

b) covering at least a portion of the substrate with an elastomeric material; and

c) coating an inert material on at least a portion of the substrate covered by the elastomeric material, the intermediate inert material preventing interaction of the at least one of cobalt, molybdenum, and chromium with the elastomeric material.

26. The method of claim 25 including coating the inert material on the substrate to a thickness before completion of an island coalescence phase with islands of the inert material adhering to the alloy, but not to each other.

27. The method of claim 25 including coating the inert material up to about 100 nm thick.

28. The method of claim 25 including selecting the inert material from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, turbostratic carbon, diamond-like carbon, titanium, platinum, iridium, tantalum, palladium, niobium, gold, titanium nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and mixtures thereof.

29. The method of claim 25 including providing the substrate as a wire in the form of a helical strand.

30. The method of claim 25 including selecting the alloy from the group consisting of stainless steel, ELGILOY, MP35N, and DBS/MP.

31. The method of claim 25 including selecting the elastomeric material from silicone and polyurethane.

32. The method of claim 25 including coating the inert material on the substrate by a process selected from the group consisting of sputtering, evaporation, laser ablation, and thermal spraying.