Implantable medical lead with moveable conductors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11357993-B2
Application number	US-202016888232-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A medical lead includes a lead body, an electrical connector, an electrical conductor, and a sleeve. The lead body includes a distal end and a proximal end defining a longitudinal axis of the lead body. The electrical connector is positioned near the proximal end of the lead body. The electrical conductor extends about the longitudinal axis of the lead body. The sleeve is coupled to an insulative material of the lead body and positioned around the electrical conductor. The electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the electrical connector. The sleeve is not fixed to the electrical conductor. In response to bending of the medical lead, the conductor may move within the sleeve to relieve strain created by the bending.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An implantable medical lead system comprising:
a lead body comprising an insulative material, the lead body including a distal end and a proximal end defining a longitudinal axis of the lead body;
an electrical connector positioned near the proximal end;
an electrical conductor extending about the longitudinal axis of the lead body;
a tubular sleeve coupled to the insulative material of the lead body, the sleeve positioned around the electrical conductor between the insulative material and the electrical conductor, the tubular sleeve entirely surrounding a circumference of the electrical conductor at the proximal end of the lead body,
wherein the electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the electrical connector, and
wherein the tubular sleeve is not fixed to the electrical conductor.

2. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 ,
wherein a clearance between the tubular sleeve and the electrical conductor is less than 125 microns, and
wherein an average molecular weight of the insulative material is greater than 100,000.

3. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular sleeve has a thickness less than 0.25 mm.

4. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular sleeve has a length greater than 10 centimeters.

5. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor is configured to axially move relative to the tubular sleeve in response to a flex of the lead body of 90 degrees at a radius of five centimeters.

6. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor has an adhesion with the tubular sleeve that corresponds to a mean maximum removal load of the electrical conductor of less than 0.1 Newtons per meter of the tubular sleeve.

7. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is a first electrical connector, wherein the electrical conductor is a first electrical conductor, wherein the tubular sleeve is a first tubular sleeve, and wherein the medical lead system further comprises:
a second electrical connector positioned near the proximal end;
a second electrical conductor extending about the longitudinal axis of the lead body;
a second tubular sleeve coupled to the insulative material of the lead body, the second sleeve positioned around the second electrical conductor between the insulative material and the second electrical conductor, the second tubular sleeve entirely surrounding a circumference of the second electrical conductor at the proximal end of the lead body,
wherein the second electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the second electrical connector, and
wherein the second tubular sleeve is not fixed to the second electrical conductor.

8. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , further comprising a medical lead extension that does not include electrodes.

9. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of electrodes positioned at the distal end.

10. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrode at the distal end, wherein the electrode is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor; and
an implantable medical device configured to electrically couple to the electrical connector, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to deliver electrical stimulation to the electrode or sense electric signals from the electrode.

11. The implantable medical lead system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical conductor further comprises an electrical insulator sheath around a conductive portion of the electrical conductor.

12. A method for manufacturing a medical lead comprising:
positioning a conductor assembly in a channel extending about a longitudinal axis of a lead body, the conductor assembly comprising an electrical conductor and a tubular sleeve positioned around the electrical conductor, the tubular sleeve forming an outer surface of the conductor assembly; and
filling the channel with an insulative material, the insulative material surrounding the outer surface of the conductor assembly, and the tubular sleeve positioned between the insulative material and the electrical conductor,
wherein the lead body includes a distal end and a proximal end defining the longitudinal axis of the lead body,
wherein the tubular sleeve entirely surrounds a circumference of the electrical conductor at the proximal end of the lead body, and
wherein the tubular sleeve is not fixed to the electrical conductor.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein a clearance between the tubular sleeve and the electrical conductor is less than 125 microns, and
wherein an average molecular weight of the insulative material is greater than 100,000.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the implantable medical lead further comprises an electrical connector positioned near the proximal end, and further comprising electrically coupling the electrical conductor to the electrical connector.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising curing the insulative material to couple the insulative material to the tubular sleeve.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the tubular sleeve has a length greater than 2.5 centimeters.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein a fixed portion of the electrical conductor is proximal to the tubular sleeve.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein a proximal end of the tubular sleeve is less than 10 centimeters from the electrical conductor.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the conductor assembly is a first conductor assembly, wherein the electrical conductor is a first electrical conductor, wherein the sleeve is a first tubular sleeve, wherein the outer surface is a first outer surface, and wherein the method further comprises:
positioning a second conductor assembly in the channel, the second conductor assembly comprising a second electrical conductor and a second tubular sleeve positioned around the electrical conductor, and the second sleeve forming a second outer surface of the second conductor assembly; and
filling the channel with the insulative material, the insulative material surrounding a second outer surface of the second conductor assembly, and the second sleeve positioned between the insulative material and the second electrical conductor,
wherein the second tubular sleeve entirely surrounds a circumference of the second electrical conductor at the proximal end of the lead body, and
wherein the second tubular sleeve is not fixed to the second electrical conductor.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Zweber Jeffrey
• Bradley Joseph
• Whelan Vincent
• Johnson Ian
• Skubitz Sean P

Classifications

• A61N1/3752 Primary

  Details of casing-lead connections · CPC title

• H01R2107/00

  Four or more poles · CPC title

• A61N1/0534 Primary

  Electrodes for deep brain stimulation · CPC title

• H01R24/58

  Contacts spaced along longitudinal axis of engagement · CPC title

• H01R13/5224

  for medical use · CPC title