Methodology and apparatus to terminate abandoned active implantable medical device leads

• US 8,200,342 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stevenson, Robert A., Truex, Buehl E., Muffoletto, Barry C., Dabney, Warren S., Frysz, Christine A., Williams, Christopher Michael, Moschiano, Holly Noelle, Fleigle, Jeff, Kondabatni, Kishore Kumar, Brendel, Richard L., Johnson, Robert Shawn, Brainard, Scott, Halperin, Henry R., Lardo, Albert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORALES, JON ERIC C
• Application Number:
  US12/850,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20100324639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 607/63, 607/60
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00839 Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/374 NMR or MRI
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/283 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/285 Invasive instruments, e.g. catheters or biopsy needles, specially adapted for tracking, guiding or visualization by NMR

Abstract

An energy management system facilitates the transfer of high frequency energy coupled into an implanted abandoned lead at a selected RF frequency or frequency band, to an energy dissipating surface. This is accomplished by conductively coupling the implanted abandoned lead to the energy dissipating surface of an abandoned lead cap through an energy diversion circuit including one or more passive electronic network components whose impedance characteristics are at least partially tuned to the implanted abandoned lead'"'"'s impedance characteristics.

Claims

1. A lead cap for terminating an abandoned implanted lead to thereby minimize heating of the lead in a high power electromagnetic field environment, the lead cap comprising:

a) a housing providing an energy dissipating surface that is connectable to an implanted abandoned lead; and

b) an energy diversion circuit electrically connected to the energy dissipating surface, wherein when the housing is connected to an abandoned lead, the energy diversion circuit facilitates transfer of high frequency energy induced on the lead at an RF frequency or frequency band to the energy dissipating surface, and

c) wherein the energy diversion circuit has at least one of a first reactance and a first impedance that is at least partially vectorally opposite to a second reactance and a second impedance of the lead.

2. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises one or more passive electronic network components whose first impedance are at least partially tuned to the second impedance of an implanted abandoned lead.

3. The lead cap of claim 2, wherein the RF frequency or frequency band comprises an MRI frequency or MRI frequency band.

4. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit has a capacitive reactance that is generally equal to and opposite an inductive reactance of an implanted lead.

5. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises at least one series resonant LC trap filter.

6. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy dissipating surface comprises convolutions or fins provided on the housing for increasing the surface area thereof.

7. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy dissipating surface comprises a plurality of spaced-apart energy dissipating surfaces.

8. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit includes at least one non-linear circuit element.

9. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a high pass filter.

10. The lead cap of claim 9, wherein the high pass filter is adapted to prevent low frequency gradient field-induced energy in an implanted lead from passing through the energy diversion circuit to the energy dissipating surface.

11. The lead cap of claim 10 wherein the low frequency gradient field-induced energy is below 4 kHz.

12. The lead cap of claim 9, wherein the high pass filter is selected from the group consisting of a capacitor, a resistor in series with a capacitor, and an L-C trap filter.

13. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a direct connection or short to the energy dissipating surface.

14. The lead cap of claim 1, including an RFID tag mounted on or housed within the housing.

15. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the housing providing the energy dissipating surface comprises grade 5 or grade 23 titanium.

16. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the housing providing the energy dissipating surface includes one or more slots for reducing eddy current heating therein.

17. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the housing is connectable to an end of at least one implanted abandoned lead comprising an IS standard connector port selected from the group consisting of IS-1, IS4, DF4, and DF-1.

18. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the energy diversion circuit, comprises at least one discrete electronic network component selected from the group consisting of an inductor, a capacitor, a resistor, a diode, and a pin diode.

19. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a seal that is connectable to a lead to isolate a connected end of the lead from body fluid.

20. The lead cap of claim 1, wherein the housing providing the energy dissipating surface comprises a material capable of being visualized during a magnetic resonance scan.

21. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a low pass or high pass filter.

22. The lead cap of claim 1 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a bandstop or bandpass filter.

23. The lead cap of claim 1 being positionable within a blood flow.

24. The lead cap of claim 14 wherein the RFID tag includes retrievable information selected from the group consisting of a lead cap manufacture and model number, a lead manufacture and model number, and MRI compatibility of lead and the lead cap.

25. A lead cap for terminating an abandoned implanted lead to thereby minimize heating of the lead in a high power electromagnetic field environment, the lead cap comprising:

a) an energy dissipating substrate; and

b) an energy diversion circuit electrically connected to the energy dissipating substrate, wherein the energy diversion circuit is conductively connectable to an implanted abandoned lead to thereby facilitate transfer of high frequency energy induced on the lead at an RF frequency or frequency band to the energy dissipating substrate, and

d) wherein the energy diversion circuit has at least one of a first reactance and a first impedance that is at least partially vectorally opposite to a second reactance and a second impedance of the lead.

26. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises one or more passive electronic network components whose first impedance are at least partially tuned to the second impedance of an implanted abandoned lead.

27. The lead cap of claim 26 wherein the RF frequency or frequency band comprises an MRI frequency or an MRI frequency band.

28. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit has a capacitive reactance that is generally equal to and opposite an inductive reactance of an implanted lead.

29. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises at least one series resonant LC trap filter.

30. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit includes at least one non-linear circuit element.

31. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a high pass filter.

32. The lead cap of claim 31 wherein the high pass filter is adapted to prevent low frequency gradient field-induced energy in an implanted lead from passing through the energy diversion circuit to the energy dissipating substrate.

33. The lead cap of claim 31 wherein the high pass filter is selected from the group consisting of a capacitor, a resistor in series with an capacitor, and an L-C trap filter.

34. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a direct connection or short to the energy dissipating substrate.

35. The lead cap of claim 25 including an RFID tag mounted on or housed within the energy dissipating substrate.

36. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy dissipating substrate comprises grade 5 or grade 23 titanium.

37. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises at least one discrete electronic network component selected from the group of an inductor, a capacitor, a resistor, a diode, and a pin diode.

38. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy dissipating substrate comprises a material capable of being visualized during a magnetic resonance scan.

39. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a low pass or high pass filter.

40. The lead cap of claim 25 wherein the energy diversion circuit comprises a bandstop or bandpass filter.

41. A lead cap for terminating an abandoned implanted lead to thereby minimize heating of the lead in a high power electromagnetic field environment, the lead cap comprising:

a) an energy dissipating surface that is connectable to an implanted abandoned lead; and

b) an energy diversion circuit electrically connected to the energy dissipating surface, wherein when so connected, the energy diversion circuit, facilitates transfer of high frequency energy induced on the lead at an RF frequency or frequency band to the energy dissipating surface, and

c) wherein the energy diversion circuit has a capacitive reactance that is generally equal to and opposite an inductive reactance of the lead.