Tubular lead electrodes and methods

• US 20070038278A1
• Filed: 05/27/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zarembo, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,038 B2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a lead assembly including an implantable lead body including a lumen, a conductor extending through the lumen in the lead body, and an electrode including a tube having an internal surface. In an example, at least a portion of the tube is formed into a helix. The conductor is electrically coupled to the internal surface of the first tube. An example method includes winding a tubular electrode around a mandrel, extending a conductor through a lumen in a lead body for a medical device lead assembly, and extending the conductor into the tubular electrode.

Claims

1. A lead assembly comprising:

an implantable lead body including a lumen;

a conductor extending through the lumen in the lead body; and

an electrode including an elongate tube expandable from a first shape to a second shape, the conductor electrically coupled to the tube.

2. The lead assembly of claim 1, wherein the tube is implantable in the compact shape and fixateable against a vessel wall in the predetermined expanded shape.

3. The lead assembly of claim 2, wherein the tube includes a shape memory alloy and the tube is expandable from the compact shape to the predetermined expanded shape by application of heat to the nitinol.

4. The lead assembly of claim 2, wherein the tube is formed from a spring material.

5. The lead assembly of claim 2, wherein the lead body is coupled to the tube, and the lead body is shapeable by expansion of the tube from the compact shape to the expanded shape.

6. The lead assembly of claim 1, wherein the tube is elastically radially compressible, the lead assembly further comprising a sleeve extending over the tube, the sleeve having an inner surface compressing at least a portion of the tube.

7. The lead assembly of claim 6, wherein the lead body has a first portion having a first diameter and a second portion having a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, the tube extending helically over the second portion of the lead body and the sleeve having an outer diameter approximately the same as the first diameter of the first portion of the lead body.

8. The lead assembly of claim 1, wherein the elongate tube has an internal surface, a portion of the conductor extending into the elongate tube and electrically coupled to the internal surface.

9. A lead assembly comprising:

an implantable lead body including at least one lumen;

a conductor extending through the lumen in the lead body; and

a first electrode including a first elongate tube having an internal surface, a portion of the conductor extending into the first tube and electrically coupled to the internal surface of the first tube.

10. The lead assembly of claim 9, further comprising a second electrode including a second elongated tube having an internal surface, a portion of the conductor extending into the second tube and electrically coupled to the internal surface of the second tube.

11. The lead assembly of claim 9, further comprising a second conductor extending through a lumen in the lead body, and a second electrode coupled to the second conductor, the second electrode electrically isolated from the first electrode.

12. The lead assembly of claim 9, wherein the tube includes a plurality of adjacent annular members, the conductor extending through the annular members.

13. The lead assembly of claim 9, wherein the tube includes a mesh.

14. The lead assembly of claim 9, wherein the conductor includes a cable comprising a plurality of filars.

15. The lead assembly of claim 9, wherein the lead assembly further comprises a cable including the conductor and at least one additional conductor.

16. A lead assembly comprising:

an implantable lead body including a lumen;

a conductor extending through the lumen in the lead body; and

a first electrode including a first tube having an internal surface, at least a portion of the first tube forming a helix, the conductor electrically coupled to the internal surface of the first tube.

17. The lead assembly of claim 16, wherein the first electrode is a defibrillation coil.

18. The lead assembly of claim 16, wherein the tube includes a first winding and a second winding adjacent to the first winding, the first winding connected to the second winding.

19. The lead assembly of claim 16, wherein a portion of the tube proximate an end into which the conductor transitions toward the conductor.

20. The lead assembly of claim 16, further comprising a second electrode including a second tube, the conductor extending through the second tube.

21. The lead assembly of claim 16, further comprising a second electrode including a second tube and a second conductor electrically coupled to the second tube.

22. The lead assembly of claim 16, wherein a first portion of the helix has a first pitch and a second portion of the helix has a second pitch different from the first pitch.

23. A lead assembly comprising:

a lead body;

an electrode coupled to the lead body and including a microcoil having an inner passage; and

a conductor coupled to the lead body and extending through the inner passage of the microcoil.

24. The lead assembly of claim 23, wherein an end of the microcoil is connected to the conductor.

25. The lead assembly of claim 23, further comprising a porous material extending over at least a portion of the microcoil.

26. The lead assembly of claim 23, wherein the conductor is a cable.

27. The lead assembly of claim 23, wherein the electrode further comprises a portion of the conductor.

28. A method comprising:

winding a tubular electrode around a mandrel;

extending a conductor through a lumen in a lead body for a medical device lead assembly; and

extending the conductor into the tubular electrode.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein winding the tubular electrode around a mandrel includes forming the tubular electrode into a helix.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising welding a first winding of the helix to an adjacent winding of the helix.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising bending a portion of the tubular electrode proximate an end of the tube and providing a transition for the conductor.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising applying at least one of an iridium oxide coating, a titanium nitride coating, or a platinum oxide coating to the electrode.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising extending a second conductor through a lumen in a lead body for a medical device lead assembly, forming a portion of the second conductor into a second helix;

and positioning a second tubular electrode over the second helix.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising electrically isolating the first conductor and first electrode from the second conductor and second electrode.

33. A method comprising:

extending a first conductor through a lumen in a lead body for a medical device lead assembly;

forming a portion of the first conductor into a first helix; and

positioning a first tubular electrode over the first helix.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein positioning a tubular electrode over the helix includes positioning a plurality of annular members on the helix, the plurality of annular members forming the tubular electrode.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising welding at least one annular member to an adjacent annular member.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein positioning a tubular electrode over the helix includes winding a wire around the conductor, the wire forming the tubular electrode.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising coupling the lead assembly to a pulse generator.