Means for increasing implantable medical device electrode surface area
First Claim
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1. An implantable medical device (IMD) including a connector header, the connector header comprising:
- a header body formed of a non-conductive, optically transparent polymer and including a sidewall;
at least one connector bore extending within the header body approximately parallel with the sidewall and including at least one connector element mounted therein; and
a conductive layer comprising a conductive material formed on an external portion of the header body sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall as an electrode surface, the conductive material being adapted to allow viewing through the sidewall into the connector bore;
wherein the connector bore is adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead and the connector element is adapted to electrically couple the lead connector terminal to the IMD.
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Abstract
A surface area of an IMD electrode is increased by forming a conductive layer over an external portion of a sidewall of an IMD connector header and electrically coupling the conductive layer of the connector header to a conductive mounting surface of a hermetically sealed IMD housing; wherein the conductive mounting surface is an extension of an external conductive surface of the IMD, which external conductive surface forms the IMD electrode that is increased in surface area by the conductive layer formed over the connector header.
65 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device (IMD) including a connector header, the connector header comprising:
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a header body formed of a non-conductive, optically transparent polymer and including a sidewall; at least one connector bore extending within the header body approximately parallel with the sidewall and including at least one connector element mounted therein; and a conductive layer comprising a conductive material formed on an external portion of the header body sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall as an electrode surface, the conductive material being adapted to allow viewing through the sidewall into the connector bore; wherein the connector bore is adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead and the connector element is adapted to electrically couple the lead connector terminal to the IMD. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An IMD, comprising:
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a hermetically sealed housing including a conductive external surface and containing electronic circuitry; conductors extending from the electronic circuitry through the housing and being isolated from the housing; and a connector header, through which the conductors are routed, mounted on the housing and including a header body having a sidewall formed of a non-conductive, optically transparent polymer, at least one connector bore extending within the header body approximately parallel with the sidewall, at least one connector element mounted within the connector bore and coupled to at least one of the conductors, and a conductive layer comprising a conductive material formed on an external portion of the header body sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall as an electrode surface, the conductive material being adapted to allow viewing through the sidewall into the connector bore; wherein the connector bore is adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead and the connector element is adapted to electrically couple the lead connector terminal to the IMD. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A connector header for an IMD, comprising:
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a header body formed of a non-conductive, optically transparent polymer and including a sidewall; at least one connector bore extending within the header body approximately parallel with the sidewall and including at least one connector element mounted therein; and a conductive layer comprising a conductive material formed on an external portion of the header body sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall as an electrode surface, the conductive material being adapted to allow viewing through the sidewall into the connector bore; wherein the connector bore is adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead and the connector element is adapted to electrically couple the lead connector terminal to the IMD. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of increasing a surface area of an IMD electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming a conductive layer comprising a conductive material extending over an external portion of a sidewall an IMD connector header sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall the header formed of a non-conductive optically transparent polymer; electrically coupling the conductive layer of the connector header to a conductive mounting surface of a hermetically sealed IMD housing, the conductive mounting surface being an extension of an external conductive surface of the IMD, which external conductive surface forms the IMD electrode that is increased in surface area by the conductive layer formed over the connector header. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:
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a hermetically sealed housing including a conductive external surface; a header body formed of a non-conductive, optically transparent polymer and including a sidewall and a mounting surface, the header body being mounted on the housing along the mounting surface; at least one connector bore extending within the header body approximately parallel with the sidewall, the connector bore being adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead and including at least one connector element mounted therein; a conductive layer comprising a conductive material formed on an external portion of the header body sidewall over a majority of the header body sidewall as an electrode surface, the conductive material being adapted to allow viewing through the sidewall into the connector bore and further extending over a portion of the mounting surface; and a conduction element disposed between the conductive material extending over a portion of the mounting surface and the housing for electrically coupling the conductive layer to the conductive external surface of the housing.
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Specification