MEDICAL LEADS WITH SEGMENTED ELECTRODES AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF

• US 20100269338A1
• Filed: 04/23/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Dye, Don
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/874
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0531 Brain cortex electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49147 Assembling terminal to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49172 by molding of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49174 Assembling terminal to elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49192 with insulation removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4922 with molding of insulation

Abstract

In one embodiment, a process, for fabricating a medical lead for stimulation of tissue of a patient, comprises: providing a plurality of wires; increasing an exterior surface area of each wire of the plurality of wires; arranging the plurality of wires angularly around a longitudinal axis; extruding polymer material of the plurality of wires; forming a lead body with a proximal end and a distal end after performing the extruding; and forming a plurality of terminals at a proximal end of the lead body; forming a plurality of segmented electrodes at a distal end of the lead body.

Claims

1. A process for fabricating a medical lead for stimulation of tissue of a patient, the process comprising:

providing a plurality of wires;

increasing an exterior surface area of each wire of the plurality of wires;

arranging the plurality of wires angularly around a longitudinal axis;

extruding polymer material of the plurality of wires;

forming a lead body with a proximal end and a distal end after performing the extruding; and

forming a plurality of terminals at a proximal end of the lead body;

forming a plurality of segmented electrodes at a distal end of the lead body.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the forming a plurality of electrodes comprises:

removing extruded polymer material at selected locations at the distal end of the lead body to expose portions of the plurality of wires.

3. The process of claim 2 further comprising:

forming bond pads on exposed portions of the plurality of wires.

4. The process of claim 3 further comprising:

welding segmented sheets of conductive material to the bond pads to form the segmented electrodes.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the providing the plurality of wires provides the plurality of wires in a twisted wire assembly with the plurality of wires twisted around a core.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the increasing the surface area of the plurality of wires comprises burnishing the plurality of wires of the twisted wire assembly and separating the plurality of wires before passing the plurality of wires through an extruder.

7. A process for fabricating a medical lead for stimulation of tissue of a patient, the process comprising:

providing a plurality of individual wires;

increasing an exterior surface area of each wire of the plurality of individual wires;

arranging the individual wires angularly around a longitudinal axis;

encasing each wire of the plurality of wires in an annular encasement of a polymer material;

forming a plurality of segmented electrodes about the annular encasement;

coupling the plurality of individual wires to a plurality of conductors of a lead body; and

forming a plurality of terminals on a proximal end of the lead body.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the increasing the surface area of the plurality of wires comprises burnishing the plurality of wires of a twisted wire assembly and separating the plurality of wires.

9. The process of claim 7 wherein the encasing comprises:

overmolding the plurality of wires after separating the plurality of wires.

10. The process of claim 7 wherein the encasing comprises:

passing the separated plurality of wires through an extruder.

11. The process of claim 7 wherein the forming a plurality of segmented electrodes comprises:

removing polymer material at selected locations about the encasement to expose portions of the plurality of wires.

12. The process of claim 11 further comprising:

forming bond pads on exposed portions of the plurality of wires.

13. The process of claim 12 further comprising:

welding segmented sheets of conductive material to the bond pads to form the segmented electrodes.