DURABLE FINE WIRE LEAD FOR THERAPEUTIC ELECTROSTIMULATION AND SENSING
First Claim
1. A flexible microthin fine wire or lead suitable for in vivo implantation, comprising a dual layer thin metal conductive buffer cladding on a nonconducting core.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cardiac pacemaker, other CRT device or neurostimulator has one or more fine wire leads. Formed of a glass, silica, sapphire or crystalline quartz fiber with a metal buffer cladding, a unipolar lead can have an outer diameter as small as about 300 microns or even smaller. The buffered fibers are extremely durable, can be bent through small radii and will not fatigue even from millions of iterations of flexing. Bipolar leads can include several conductors side by side within a glass/silica fiber, or can be concentric metal coatings in a structure including several fiber layers. An outer protective sheath of a flexible polymer material can be included.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A flexible microthin fine wire or lead suitable for in vivo implantation, comprising a dual layer thin metal conductive buffer cladding on a nonconducting core.
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11. A method of making a flexible fine wire or lead, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a non-conducting core made of glass, or silica or combinations thereof, forming a first metal layer on the core by deposition of aluminum, titanium, platinum, gold, silver or combinations thereof, and depositing a second metal layer on the first metal layer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of manufacturing a flexible fine stimulating lead, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing an insulting biocompatible lead body, affixing an electrode to the distal end of the lead body, affixing a connector terminal to the proximal end of the lead body, depositing at least one conductive metal layer on a non-conducting core to produce a fine wire lead for connecting the terminal to the electrode, and depositing a biocompatible, insulting layer over the fine wire. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification