Medical leads with segmented electrodes and methods of fabrication thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12064617-B2
Application number	US-202117317935-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2021
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for fabricating a neurostimulation stimulation lead comprises: providing a plurality of ring components and hypotubes in a mold; placing an annular frame with multiple lumens over distal ends of the plurality of hypotubes to position a portion of each hypotube within a respective lumen of the annular frame; molding the plurality of ring components and the hypotubes to form a stimulation tip component for the stimulation lead, wherein the molding fills interstitial spaces between the plurality of ring components and hypotubes with insulative material; and forming segmented electrodes from the ring components after performing the molding.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a neurostimulation stimulation lead comprising:
providing a plurality of ring components and hypotubes in a mold;
molding the plurality of ring components and the hypotubes to form a stimulation tip component for the stimulation lead; and
forming segmented electrodes from the ring components after performing the molding,
wherein the plurality of hypotubes comprise different lengths for the corresponding hypotubes such that multiple ones of the plurality of hypotubes extend different lengths after the molding is performed to facilitate subsequent connection of the hypotubes to conductor wires of a lead body in a correct order.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of hypotubes extend from the annular frame structure after the molding is performed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the molding fills interstitial spaces between the plurality of ring components and hypotubes with insulative material.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the molding, placing an annular frame with multiple lumens over proximal ends of the plurality of hypotubes to position a portion of each hypotube within a respective lumen of the annular frame.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein an insulative coating is disposed on each hypotube of the plurality of hypotubes.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the insulative coating on each hypotube is one or more respective polyxylylene polymers.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein an insulative coating is disposed on an inner diameter of the segmented electrodes.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: welding conductor wires of a lead body to each hypotube coated with the one or more polyxylylene polymers.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising: joining a lead body to the stimulation tip.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the joining comprises: connecting a plurality of wires of the lead body to the hypotubes.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising: placing a clam-shell shaped component of reflowable insulative material over the connection region between the plurality of wires and the hypotubes; and reflowing the material of the clam-shell component.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein each ring component comprises a step-down region that is secured underneath an outer surface of insulative material of the stimulation tip.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step-down region comprises a roughened surface.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: bead blasting the step-down region of each ring component to roughen the surface of the step-down region.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising: twisting a lead body for the stimulation lead from a first configuration with linearly arranged conductor wires to obtain a second configuration with helically arranged conductor wires.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising: heat setting the lead body to retain the second configuration with helically arranged conductor wires.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising: applying a first weld and a second weld to attach each hypotube to a corresponding ring component.

Assignees

• Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc

Inventors

• Sefkow Ryan
• Crawford Christopher A
• Mitchell Jeffrey
• Wilson Kevin
• Bray Raymond P
• Gonzalez John R

Classifications

• B29C2045/14524

  making hollow articles · CPC title

• B29C45/14311

  using means for bonding the coating to the articles (B29C45/14795 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2793/009

  after shaping · CPC title

• B29C45/0055

  Shaping · CPC title

• B29C45/14639

  for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components · CPC title