Method for making assembly of pacing lead electrode to coiled conductor

• US 4,938,822 A
• Filed: 10/17/1983
• Issued: 07/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Cordis Leads Incorporated
• Inventors: Peers-Trevarton, C. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/542,743
• Time in Patent Office: 2,451 Days
• Field of Search: 156/294, 156/293, 156/144, 156/157, 29/451, 29/854, 29/881, 267/167, 128/784, 128/419 P, 128/786
• US Class Current: 156/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2105/00 Three poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/12 for medicine and surgery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/58 Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement

Abstract

Electrode assemblies are provided such that a wire coil conductor is springingly secured into a tubular electrode or onto a pin without having to crimp, stake, weld, swage, or otherwise mechanically secure the wire coil electrode to the tubular electrode or pin. A simple assembly having high separation forces is provided by utilizing a wire coil electrode that, when untensioned, is either oversized with respect to the tubular electrode or is undersized with respect to the pin. Either the oversized wire coil electrode is rotated into the tubular electrode while reducing its oversized condition and placing same into a tensioned condition in order to secure it within the tubular electrode, or the undersized wire coil is rotated onto the pin in order to increase its undersized condition and simultaneously impart a tensioned condition thereto in order to springingly engage the wire coil electrode onto the pin. Enhanced securement is achieved when an adhesive is applied to the interface between the wire coil electrode and the tubular electrode or pin prior to assembly.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a pacing lead electrode assembly that includes a coiled conductor within a sleeve electrode having a generally cylindrical inside surface, comprising:

selecting an electrically conductive metal sleeve electrode having an electrically conductive generally cylindrical inside surface of a predetermined circumference;

oversizing an electrically conductive coiled conductor in its generally radial cross-section so as to provide a coil-shaped conductor member having a generally helically shaped uninsulated electrically conductive outer surface that is radially oversized with respect to the electrically conductive inside surface circumference of the sleeve electrode to the extent that the helically shaped outer surface has a average circumference that is greater than the circumference of the generally cylindrical inside surface of the sleeve electrode when the coil-shaped conductor is in a radially untensioned preassembly condition;

applying adhesive to a free end of the oversized coil-shaped conductor member;

generally coaxially aligning the free end of the oversized coil-shaped conductor member with a free end of the sleeve electrode;

radially rotating the oversized coil-shaped conductor member or the sleeve electrode with respect to each other generally along their coaxis;

engaging the oversized coil-shaped conductor free end and the sleeve electrode free end during said radial rotation step to thereby flow said adhesive to intersticies between said generally helicallv shaped outer surface and to thereby radially decrease the oversized circumference of the free end of the coil-shaped conductor member to the extent that the free end of the coil-shaped conductor member rotates into the free end of the sleeve electrode and is radially tensioned thereby;

continuing said radial rotation step while permitting longitudinal movement of the coil-shaped conductor member with respect to the sleeve electrode generally along their coaxis, whereby the coil-shaped conductor member moves longitudinally into the sleeve electrode to form an electrode assembly having a plurality of windings of the coiled conductor radially tensioned and springingly urged against and engaged with the electrically conductive generally cylindrical inside surface of the sleeve electrode to enhance electrical contact between the electrically conductive outer surface of the coiled conductor and the electrically generally cylindrical inside surface of the sleeve electrode; and

setting the adhesive in the intersticies to form an adhesive thread onto said inside surface of the sleeve electrode.

2. A method of manufacturing a pacing lead electrode assembly that includes a coiled conductor mounted onto a pin electrode having a generally cylindrical outside surface comprising:

selecting an electrically conductive metal pin electrode having an electrically conductive generally cylindrical and substantially unthreaded outside surface of a predetermined circumference;

undersizing an electrically conductive coiled conductor in its generally radial cross-section so as to provide a coil-shaped conductor member having a generally helically shaped uninsulated electrically conductive inner surface that is radially undersized with respect to the electrically conductive substantially unthreaded outside surface of the pin electrode to the extent that the helically shaped inner surface has an average circumference that is less than the circumference of the generally cylindrical outside surface of the sleeve electrode when the coil-shaped conductor member is in a radially untensioned preassembly condition;

applying adhesive to a free end of the undersized coil-shaped conductor member;

generally coaxially aligning a free end of the undersized coil-shaped conductor member with a free end of the pin electrode;

radially rotating the undersized coil-shaped conductor member or the pin electrode with respect to each other generally along their coaxis;

engaging the undersized coil-shaped conductor free end and the pin electrode free end during said radial rotation step to thereby flow said adhesive to intersticies between said generally helically shaped inner surface and to thereby radially increase the undersized circumferenece of the free end of the coil-shaped conductor member to the extent that the free end of the coil-shaped conductor member rotates onto the free end of the pin electrode and is radially tensioned thereby;

continuing said radial rotation step while permitting longitudinal movement of the coil-shaped conductor member with respect to the pin electrode generally along their coaxis, whereby the coil-shaped conductor member moves longitudinally onto the pin electrode to form an assembly having a plurality of windings of the coil-shaped conductor radially tensioned and springingly urged against and engaged with the electrically conductive, generally cylindrical outside surface of the pin electrode to enhance the electrical contact between the electrically conductive inner surface of the coiled conductor and the electrically conductive cylindrical outside surface of the pin electrode; and

setting the adhesive in the intersticies to form an adhesive thread onto said outside surface of the pin.