Lead End Having Inner Support

• US 20130109254A1
• Filed: 10/29/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Klardie, Michael R., Oster, Daniel C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,138,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/887
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members

Abstract

Various embodiments of this disclosure concern a lead end having an inner support. Such a lead can include a first end, a second end, a main body, and a plurality of exposed electrical elements on each of the lead ends. A metal support can be contained within the first end, the metal support comprising a plurality of longitudinal members and a plurality of cross members between the longitudinal members, the metal support having an interior space. The first lead end can further include polymer fill within the interior space of the metal support and encapsulating at least a substantial portion of the metal support, the polymer fill defining at least some of the exterior surface of the first end between the exposed electrical elements of the first end.

Claims

1. A lead, the lead comprising:

a first end, a second end, and a main body connecting the first end and the second end, the first end having a first plurality of exposed electrical elements and the second end having a second plurality of exposed electrical elements, at least some of the exposed electrical elements on the first end respectively electrically connected to at least some of the exposed electrical elements of the second end by a plurality of electrical conductors in the main body;

a metal support within the first end, the metal support comprising a plurality of longitudinal members generally parallel with the axis of first end of the lead and a plurality of cross members between the longitudinal members, wherein the metal support has an interior space, extends proximal and distal of the plurality of exposed electrical elements of the first end, and is electrically isolated from the exposed electrical elements of the first end; and

polymer fill within the interior space of the metal support and encapsulating at least a substantial portion of the metal support, the polymer fill defining at least some of the exterior surface of the first end between the exposed electrical elements of the first end.

2. The lead of claim 1, wherein the metal support is a unitary body

3. The lead of claim 1, wherein the cross members form a plurality of rings that are aligned axially with the axis of the first end of the lead.

4. The lead of claim 1, wherein the metal support comprises a plurality of grip features, each of the grip features comprising at least one of the cross members that is surrounded by the polymer fill to provide mechanical fixation between the polymer fill and the metal support.

5. The lead of claim 4, wherein at least one grip feature is located proximal along the lead with respect to the most proximal exposed electrical element of the first end and another grip feature is located distal along the lead with respect to the most distal exposed electrical element of the first end.

6. The lead of claim 1, wherein the metal support comprises a plurality of windows defined by the longitudinal members and the cross members.

7. The lead of claim 6, wherein the conductors run through the windows, the conductors bridging the electrical connections between the exposed electrical elements of the first and second ends.

8. The lead of claim 6, wherein each of the windows is filled in with the polymer fill.

9. The lead of claim 1, wherein each exposed electrical element of the first end comprises a contact ring that surrounds the metal support and defines at least some of the exterior surface of the first end.

10. The lead of claim 9, wherein each contact ring comprises a proximal end and a distal end, and the polymer fill directly contacts each of the proximal and distal ends of each contact ring to prevent the rings from moving proximally or distally along the lead.

11. The lead of claim 1, wherein the first end is configured to plug into an implantable medical device and the exposed electrical elements of the first end are arrayed to electrically connect with respective channels of the implantable medical device.

12. The lead of claim 1, wherein the lead further comprises a metal zero contact, the metal zero contact having a window and a flange, the metal zero contact at least partially overlapping with the support member, the metal zero contact being mechanically fixed to the metal support by the polymer fill filling the window of the metal zero contact.

13. The lead of claim 1, wherein the metal support provides a majority of the axial strength of the first end.

14. The lead of claim 1, further comprising a lumen within the first end and the main body, the lumen extending within the metal support and open on the first end of the lead.

15. The lead of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cross members comprise sections of a spring welded to the plurality of longitudinal members.

16. A method of making a lead, the method comprising:

loading a plurality of electrical elements onto a metal support, the metal support comprising a plurality of longitudinal members and a plurality of cross members between the longitudinal members, the metal support having an interior space and being electrically insulated by a coating;

connecting a plurality of conductors to the plurality of electrical elements; and

injecting polymer fill into the interior space of the metal support to encapsulate at least a substantial portion of the metal support, the polymer fill being deposited in between the plurality of electrical elements to define an exterior surface of a lead body, the plurality of conductors within the interior space when the polymer fill is injected.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising removing sections from a metal hypo tube to make the metal support.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein loading the plurality of electrical elements onto the metal support comprises aligning the contact rings with respective cross members of the metal support.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising tacking the electrical elements in alignment with the respective cross members with medical adhesive.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further includes:

placing a core pin within the interior space of the metal support before injecting the polymer fill, the core pin extending proximally from the proximal end of the metal support and distally from the distal end of the metal support; and

removing the core pin following injection of the polymer till to leave a lumen within the lead body.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein loading the plurality of electrical elements onto the metal support comprises placing a plurality of contact rings over the metal support such that the contact rings are arrayed along the metal support.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein connecting the plurality of conductors to the plurality of electrical elements comprises welding the conductors to the electrical elements.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of electrical elements are loaded onto the metal support such that at least one grip feature of the metal support is proximal with respect to the most proximal electrical element and another grip feature of the metal support is distal with respect to the most distal electrical element, wherein each grip feature comprises at least one of the cross members that becomes encapsulated by the injected polymer fill,

24. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the metal support includes a plurality of windows defined by the longitudinal members and the cross members; and

each of the windows is filled in by the injected polymer fill.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein:

each electrical element comprises a proximal end and a distal end; and

the polymer fill is injected to directly contact each of the proximal and distal ends of each electrical element to prevent the electrical elements from moving proximally or distally along the lead upon solidification of the polymer fill.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

placing a metal zero contact at least partially over the metal structure, the metal zero contact at having a window and a flange; and

injecting polymer material to fill in the window of the metal zero contact and surround at least one cross member of the metal structure to mechanically fix the metal structure to the metal zero contact.