Catheter with thin film electrodes and method for making same
First Claim
1. An electrode assembly, comprising:
- (a) a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end and including at least one conductor extending from the proximal end to a predetermined zone located proximate the distal end; and
(b) at least one electrode on a surface of the lead body in said predetermined zone, the electrode comprising a conductive pad electrically connected to a conductor, the pad comprising a plurality of superimposed metallic film layers, at least one layer having a nanocrystalline structure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical lead for sensing electrical activity with the body of the patient and for applying electrical energization to selected body tissue comprises an elongated, flexible polymeric lead body having one or more conductors extending the length thereof, the conductors being connected at their distal end to electrode pads where the pads each comprise a multilayer thin metallic film structure formed on the surface of the lead body where the overall thickness of the composite electrodes are less than about 5 microns. As such, the electrodes do not adversely impact the ability of the distal end portion of the catheter to flex and conform to tissue structures where sensing is to be taken and therapy delivered via the lead.
352 Citations
85 Claims
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1. An electrode assembly, comprising:
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(a) a lead body having a proximal end and a distal end and including at least one conductor extending from the proximal end to a predetermined zone located proximate the distal end; and
(b) at least one electrode on a surface of the lead body in said predetermined zone, the electrode comprising a conductive pad electrically connected to a conductor, the pad comprising a plurality of superimposed metallic film layers, at least one layer having a nanocrystalline structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electrode assembly, comprising:
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(a) a lead body having a proximal end, a distal end and including at least one conductor supported by the lead body, the conductor extending from the proximal end to a predetermined zone located proximate the distal end; and
(b) at least one electrode on a surface of the lead body in the predetermined zone, the electrode comprising a conductive pad electrically connected to a conductor, the pad comprising a plurality of superimposed metallic film layers, wherein an interface between at least two layers is interlaced. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method of manufacturing electrical leads comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an elongated, flexible, polymeric lead body having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one flexible conductor extending therebetween, the conductor being uninsulated in a zone proximate the distal end;
(b) placing at least a distal end portion of the polymeric lead body in a evacuatable chamber;
(c) drawing a vacuum in said chamber;
(d) introducing accelerated ions into the chamber to bombard the distal end portion of the lead body;
(e) concurrently with step (d), evaporating a first metal and directing a vapor of the first metal onto the zone on the lead body where the flexible conductor is uninsulated to create a first metal film layer of a predetermined thickness in the zone; and
(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) using a second metal for depositing a vapor of the second metal as a film onto the film layer of the first metal. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
(a) before step (e), masking the distal end portion of the lead body to form a plurality of discrete areas on the distal end portion of the lead body on which the metal film layers are formed.
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51. The method of claim 49 wherein the ions being introduced are selected from a group consisting of Ar, N, O.
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52. The method of claim 49 and further including the steps of:
(g) following step (f), evaporating a third metal and directing a vapor of the third metal onto the film of the second metal to form a third film layer while introducing accelerated ions into the chamber to bombard the distal end portion of the lead body.
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53. The method as in claim 52 wherein the third metal film layer has a thickness less than about 50 microns.
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54. The method as in claim 53 wherein the third metal is selected from a group consisting of Ag, Pt, Au and Cu.
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55. The method of claim 52 and further including the steps of:
(h) following step (g), evaporating a fourth metal and directing a vapor of the fourth metal onto the third film layer while introducing accelerated ions into the chamber to bombard the distal end portion of the lead body.
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56. The method of claim 55 wherein the fourth metal film layer has a thickness between 500 Å
- and 1 micron.
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57. The method of claim 56 wherein the fourth metal is selected from a group consisting of Au, Pt and Pt—
- Ir.
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58. The method of claim 55 and further including the step of:
(a) thermally annealing the first, second, third and fourth metal film layers to stress relieve said layers.
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59. The method of claim 55 wherein the metals comprising the first, second, third and fourth film layers are evaporated by one of electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, RF sputtering and plasma sputtering.
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60. The method as in claim 55 wherein the ions are accelerated sufficiently to shot peen the first, second, third and fourth metal film layers into an adjacent underlying surface whereby adhesion of the metal film layers to one another is achieved.
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61. The method as in claim 55 wherein the ions are accelerated sufficiently to impart a nanocrystalline structure to said metal film layers.
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62. The method of claim 49 wherein the first and second metal film layers each have a thickness between 500 Å
- and 1 micron.
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63. The method as in claim 62 wherein the first metal is selected from a group consisting of Ti, Cr, Ni and Al.
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64. The method of claim 62 wherein the second metal film layer is selected from a group consisting of Pd and Pt.
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65. The method of any one of claims 49-57 wherein the polymer comprising the polymeric lead body is selected from a group consisting of PTFE, PET, PVC, PFA, e-PTFE, polyethylene, silicone rubber, polyurethane, polyamide, polyimide, PEP and blends and alloys thereof.
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66. The method as in any one of one of claims 49-57 wherein the at least one conductor is contained within the lead body, except in said zone proximate the distal end.
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67. The method as in any one of one claims 49-57 wherein the at least one conductor is supported on an exterior surface of the lead body and coated with an insulating layer except in said zone proximate the distal end.
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69. The method of claim 62 wherein the first and second metal film layers each having a thickness in a range between 500 Å
- and 1 micron.
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70. The method as in claim 65 wherein the first metal is selected from a group consisting Ti, Cr, Ni, and Al.
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71. The method of claim 65 wherein the second metal film layer is selected from a group consisting of Pd and Pt.
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72. The method as of claim 65 and further including the steps of:
(a) before step (d), masking the distal end portion of the lead body to form a plurality of discrete areas on the distal end portion of the lead body on which the metal film layers are formed.
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73. The method of claim 65 wherein the ions being introduced are selected from a group consisting of Ar, N, and O.
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74. The method of claim 65 and further including the steps of:
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(g) following step (f), vapor depositing a third metal film layer on the film of the second metal and thereafter; and
(h) introducing accelerated ions into the chamber to bombard the third metal layer.
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75. The method as in claim 63 wherein the third metal film layer has a thickness less than about 50 microns.
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76. The method as in claim 75 wherein the third metal is selected from a group consisting of Ag, Pt, Au and Cu.
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77. The method of claim 74 and further including the steps of:
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(i) following step (h), vapor depositing a fourth metal film layer on the third metal film layer and thereafter;
(j) ion bombarding the fourth metal film layer.
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78. The method of claim 77 wherein the metals comprising the first, second, third and fourth film layers are evaporated by one of electron beam evaporation, thermal evaporation, RF sputtering and plasma sputtering.
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79. The method as in claim 77 wherein the ions are accelerated sufficiently to shot peen the first, second, third and fourth metal film layers into an adjacent underlying surface whereby adhesion of the metal film layers to one another is achieved.
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80. The method as in claim 77 wherein the ions are accelerated sufficiently to impart a nanocrystalline structure to said metal film layers.
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81. The method as in claim 77 wherein the fourth metal film layer has a thickness between 500 A and 1 micron.
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82. The method of claim 81 wherein the fourth metal is selected from a group consisting of Au, Pt, and Pt—
- Ir.
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83. The method of any one of claims 65-82 wherein the polymer comprising the polymeric lead body is selected from a group consisting of PTFE, PET, PVC, PFA, e-PTFE, polyethylene, silicone rubber, polyurethane, polyamide, polyimide, FEP and blends and alloys thereof.
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84. The method as in any one of claims 65-82 wherein the at least one conductor is contained within the lead body, except in said zone proxim ate the distal end.
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85. The method as in any one of claims 65-82 wherein the at least one conductor is supported on an exterior surface of the lead body and is coated with an insulating layer except in said zone proximate the distal end.
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68. A method of manufacturing electrical leads comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an elongated, flexible, polymeric lead body having a proximal end, a distal end and at least one flexible conductor extending therebetween, the conductor being uninsulated in a zone proximate the distal end;
(b) placing at least a distal end portion of the polymeric lead body in a evacuatable chamber;
(c) drawing a vacuum in said chamber;
(d) evaporating a first metal and directing the vapor of the first metal onto the zone on the lead body where the flexible conductor is uninsulated to create a first metal film layer of a predetermined thickness in the zone;
(e) introducing accelerated ions into the chamber to bombard the first metal film layer; and
(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) using a second metal for depositing a vapor of the second metal as a film onto the film layer of the first metal and ion bombarding the film of the second metal.
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Specification