Medical electrical leads and conductor assemblies thereof

• US 8,494,656 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2008
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Seifert, Kevin R., Marshall, Mark T., Boser, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI
• Application Number:
  US12/234,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20090082655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 607/122, 607/123
• US Class Current: 607/122
• 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 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 7/0823 Parallel wires, incorporated in a flat insulating profile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49194 Assembling elongated conductors, e.g., splicing, etc.

Abstract

A conductor assembly for a medical electrical lead includes a web and plurality of conductors. The web includes a plurality of longitudinally extending elements, or sidewalls, each of which define a longitudinally extending lumen, and a plurality of longitudinally extending connectors, each of which join a pair of adjacent sidewalls. Each of the plurality of conductors extends within a corresponding lumen, and each may include an insulative jacket. If each conductor includes an insulative jacket, the jacket is preferably formed from one or more of the following materials: PEEK, PVDF and polysulfone. One or more of the connectors of the web may be flexible to allow for a connected separation, or a gap between adjacent sidewalls; and one or more of these connectors may further include a discrete wall section adapted to facilitate widening of the corresponding gap. Preferably the conductor assembly is coiled for incorporation into the lead.

Claims

1. A method for making a lead body subassembly, the method comprising:

assembling a conductor assembly about an insulative sheath, the conductor assembly including a web, a first conductor and a second conductor, the web including a first sidewall that defines a lumen through which the first conductor extends, a second sidewall that defines a lumen through which the second conductor extends, and a connector joining the first sidewall to the second sidewall;

trimming the first sidewall and the first conductor of the conductor assembly, together, such that the first sidewall and the first conductor have a length that is less than a length of the second sidewall and the second conductor;

coiling the conductor assembly prior to assembling the conductor assembly about the insulative sheath; and

wherein the trimming is performed between the steps of coiling and assembling.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein assembling the conductor assembly about the insulative sheath comprises bonding portions of the conductor assembly to the sheath.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each connector of the web is sufficiently flexible to allow for a gap between connected adjacent sidewalls of the web.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each conductor is a cable including a plurality of conductive wire strands.