Alarm for lead insulation abnormality

• US 9,291,663 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Spectranetics Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Grace, Kenneth P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTON, AMANDA K
• Application Number:
  US13/799,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1263 of solid or fluid materials, e.g. insulation films, bulk material; of semiconductors or LV electronic components or parts; of cable, line or wire insulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/1272 of cable, line or wire insulation, e.g. using partial discharge measurements locating faults in cables G01R31/083

Abstract

A system is provided to determine whether an insulating layer of an implanted lead is damaged.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a sheath comprising;

an annulus to receive an implanted lead,

a separator to substantially free the implanted lead from surrounding tissue, and

an electrically conductive structure to interact electrically with a conductor of the lead, the electrically conductive structure comprising at least one conductive band around at least art of a circumference of the sheath, and the at least one conductive band comprising plural conductive bands positioned along a length of the sheath;

a sensor to sense an electrical parameter associated with the lead to determine a condition of an insulation layer of the lead; and

a controller operable to receive output from the sensor and determine when the condition of the insulation layer is not acceptable.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a marker in spatial proximity to the electrically conductive structure to indicate a location of an unacceptable portion of the insulation layer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive structure is connected to a voltage source and the sensor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the conductor of the lead is connected to the sensor and wherein the electrically conductive structure is connected to a voltage source.

5. A device, comprising:

a sheath comprising;

an annulus to receive an implanted lead,

a separator to substantially free the implanted lead from surrounding tissue, and

an electrically conductive structure to interact electrically with a conductor of the lead;

a sensor to sense an electrical parameter associated with the lead to determine a condition of an insulation layer of the lead; and

a controller operable to receive output from the sensor and determine when the condition of the insulation layer is not acceptable;

wherein the electrically conductive structure is connected to the sensor.