Systems and methods for characterizing leads

• US 20060020314A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bodner, Jeffrey P.
• Application Number:
  US10/898,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020314A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence

Abstract

Indicia represent characteristics of an implantable lead. The characteristics include at least one of stiffness, bending stiffness, torsional stiffness, weight, mass per unit length, electrical properties, lubricity, mechanical resistance, and pushability. The indicia include a plurality of alpha-numeric characters and/or graphics, which represent a corresponding plurality of lead characteristics.

Claims

1. An implantable lead, comprising:

a body; and

indicia associated with the body, the indicia being adapted to indicate, external to a patient'"'"'s body, operational characteristics of the lead.

2. The lead of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristics include at least one mechanical property of the lead.

3. The lead of claim 2, wherein the stiffness is one selected from a group of bending stiffness and torsional stiffness.

4. The lead of claim 2, wherein the mechanical property includes weight.

5. The lead of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristics include lubricity of the lead.

6. The lead of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristics include at least one electrical property of the lead.

7. The lead of claim 1, wherein the indicia is on an outer surface of the body.

8. The lead of claim 7, wherein the indicia include a plurality of alpha-numeric characters which represent a corresponding plurality of lead characteristics.

9. The lead of claim 1, wherein the indicia include a graphic representation of the characteristics of the lead.

10. The lead of claim 9, wherein the graphic representation includes a grid.

11. The lead of claim 10, wherein the grid is a three-dimensional grid having a plurality of locations each corresponding to a specific characteristic of the lead.

12. The lead of claim 9, wherein the graphic representation includes a bar graph.

13. The lead of claim 12, wherein the bar graph includes a bar representing a lead characteristic variable, and the bar has a height representing a value of the lead characteristic variable.

14. The lead of claim 1, wherein the body includes electrical conductor, an insulator surrounding the electrical conductor, and a coating on the insulator.

15. The lead of claim 14, wherein the indicia is beneath the coating.

16. The lead of claim 15, wherein the coating is transparent over the indicia.

17. The lead of claim 15, wherein the coating includes a therapeutic agent.

18. The lead of claim 1, wherein the indicia includes a first indicia denoting operational characteristics of a first portion of the body and a second indicia denoting operational characteristics of a second portion of the body.

19. The lead of claim 1, wherein the indicia indicates a statistical representation of operational characteristics of a first portion of the body and operational characteristics of a second portion of the body.

20. The lead of claim 1, wherein the indicia indicates an average of the operational characteristics of the body.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a display;

indicia associated with the display, the indicia representing operational characteristics of an implantable lead.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the display includes an electronic device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electronic device includes a computer readable media storing the indicia and data related to the characteristics denoted by the indicia.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the electronic device includes a computer network.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the computer network includes a unit for entering a request for the indicia, and a server operably connected to the unit and adapted to provide the indicia to the unit.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the server is adapted to provide additional data associated with the indicia.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the indicia is adapted to indicate at least one of a mechanical characteristic and an electrical characteristic of an implantable lead.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the mechanical characteristic includes at least one of bending stiffness, torsional stiffness, and weight.

29. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the indicia is on the display.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the display is adapted to be connected to an implantable lead.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the indicia include a graphical representation of lead operational characteristics.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the indicia include an alpha-numeric code representing lead operational characteristics.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the indicia are stored in a machine readable medium remotely from the lead.

34. A method for assigning indicia to an implantable lead, comprising:

providing characteristics of a lead type;

assigning indicia representing the characteristics of the lead type; and

associating the assigned indicia to leads of the lead type.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein associating includes imprinting the indicia on the lead.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein associating includes attaching the indicia to the lead.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein assigning includes assigning an alpha-numeric code for the indicia.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein associating includes storing the indicia in a computer readable media.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein associating includes providing access to the computer readable media.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein providing access includes providing access to the indicia through a computer network.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein associating includes storing additional data relating to the indicia and the lead type in the computer readable media.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein providing access includes requesting the user to select the indicia before providing access to the additional information.