IMPLANTABLE LEADS WITH A CONDUCTOR COIL HAVING TWO OR MORE SECTIONS

• US 20110160825A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmidt, Brian L., Aviles Delgado, Emilio Abner, Shvelidze, Yevgeniya, Morales Ortiz, Fabian E., Haasl, Benjamin J., Morris, Kimberly A., Willoughby, Patrick, De Kock, Andrew, Kunkel, Ronald W., Haarer, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,651 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0587 Epicardial electrode systems; Endocardial electrodes piercing the pericardium
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/0585 Coronary sinus electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49218 with deforming

Abstract

Various coiled conductors having two or more sections and methods and devices for constructing such conductors are disclosed. The various embodiments of coiled conductors and related methods include two or more sections that can have different mechanical, structural, and/or electrical characteristics.

Claims

1. A medical lead comprising:

a lead body;

at least one lumen disposed within the lead body; and

a coil conductor disposed within the at least one lumen, the coil conductor comprising;

a first coiled segment comprising a first number of filars and a first pitch;

a second coiled segment comprising a second number of filars and a second pitch; and

a junction member coupled to an end of the first coiled segment and an end of the second coiled segment.

2. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the first coiled segment further comprises a first outer diameter and a first inner diameter and the second coiled segment further comprises a second outer diameter and a second inner diameter.

3. The medical lead of claim 2, wherein the first outer diameter is greater than the second outer diameter and the first inner diameter is greater than the second inner diameter.

4. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the first number of filars is less than the second number of filars.

5. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the first coiled segment comprises coated filars and the second coiled segment comprises uncoated filars.

6. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the first coiled segment is a first coiled conductor and the second coiled segment is a second coiled conductor.

7. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the junction member is a weld zone.

8. The medical lead of claim 1, wherein the junction member is a junction ring.

9. The medical lead of claim 8, wherein the junction ring comprises a male coupling component configured to be disposed within a lumen at the end of the first coiled segment and a female coupling component comprising a lumen configured to receive the end of the second coiled segment.

10. The medical lead of claim 8, wherein the junction ring comprises a first female coupling component comprising a lumen configured to receive the end of the first coiled segment and a second female coupling component comprising a lumen configured to receive the end of the second coiled segment.

11. The medical lead of claim 8, wherein the junction ring comprises a first male coupling component configured to be disposed within a lumen at the end of the first coiled segment and a second male coupling component configured to be disposed within a lumen at the end of the second coiled segment.

12. A medical lead comprising:

a lead body;

at least one lumen disposed within the lead body; and

a coil conductor disposed within the at least one lumen, the coil conductor comprising;

a proximal coiled segment comprising a first number of coated filars, a first pitch, and a first outer diameter;

a distal coiled segment comprising a second number of uncoated filars, a second pitch, and a second outer diameter that is less than the first outer diameter; and

a junction member coupled to a distal end of the proximal coiled segment and a proximal end of the distal coiled segment.

13. The medical lead of claim 12, wherein the junction member is a weld zone.

14. The medical lead of claim 12, wherein the junction member is a junction ring comprising a male coupling component configured to be disposed within a lumen at the distal end of the proximal coiled segment and a female coupling component comprising a lumen configured to receive the proximal end of the distal coiled segment.

15. A method of constructing a coil conductor having at least a first segment and a second segment, the method comprising:

winding a first number of at least one filars into a coiled configuration over a first section of a mandrel to form the first segment, wherein the first section comprises a first outer diameter and the first segment comprises the first number of at least one filars, a first pitch, and a first inner diameter, wherein the winding to form the first segment ends at a transition point; and

winding a second number of at least one filars beginning at the transition point into a coiled configuration over a second section of the mandrel to form the second segment, wherein the second section comprises a second outer diameter and the second segment comprises the second number of at least one filars, a second pitch, and a second inner diameter, wherein at least one of the first number of filars, the first pitch, the first inner diameter, and the first outer diameter is different from at least one of the second number of filars, the second pitch, the second inner diameter, and the second outer diameter,

wherein the at least one filar is a coated filar and wherein the method further comprises removing the coating while winding the at least one filar to form either the first segment or the second segment, whereby one of the first and second segment is uncoated.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising removing one of the first number of filars at the transition point before winding the second number of filars, whereby the second number of filars is less than the first number of filars.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising adding a filar at the transition point before winding the second number of filars, whereby the second number of filars is greater than the first number of filars.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second outer diameter of the mandrel is smaller than the first outer diameter of the mandrel.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising winding a third number of the at least one filars beginning at a second transition point into a coiled configuration over a third section of the mandrel to form a third segment, wherein the third section comprises a third outer diameter and the third segment comprises the third number of at least one filars, a third pitch, and a third inner diameter, wherein at least one of the second number of filars, the second pitch, the second inner diameter, and the second outer diameter is different from at least one of the third number of filars, the third pitch, the third inner diameter, and the third outer diameter.