The present invention relates to implantable medical leads for connection between a stimulating control device and one or more stimulation or sensing electrodes and methods of manufacturing such leads, and more particularly to methods of manufacturing flexible and extensible implantable medical leads.
Systems and methods for electrical stimulation of electrically excitable tissue within the body of a living subject have been developed utilizing stimulating electrodes and a signal generator or control device to supply electrical charges in a controlled or predetermined manner. Such systems and methods have been developed specifically based upon a desired condition, such as to alleviate pain or to stimulate muscle movement, and based upon the application with a subject's body. For bodily applications where the alleviation of pain is the goal, one or more stimulating and/or sensing electrodes can be implanted within nerve tissue, the brain or spinal cord for blocking pain sensation by electrical stimulation. For muscle tissue stimulation, a stimulating electrode can be implanted in a muscle tissue, whereby electrical current that is typically provided as pulses can cause muscle tissue reaction that may be controlled to cause movement of a subject's body part. Sensing electrodes are used for determining actions of the body.
Signal generators can determine when, how long, and/or the amperage of current pulses that are to be applied for the specific application, and often include hard-wired circuitry, a microprocessor with software and/or embedded logic as the controlling system for determining and dictating current pulses. Such signal generators may also be implanted within the subject's body, and typically such an implantation is done to position the signal generator close to the stimulating and/or sensing electrodes, with interconnecting medical leads for conducting current pulses to and from the stimulating and sensing electrodes. Implantable medical leads and externally utilized leads for these purposes are typically insulated conductors or conductive elements (e.g., a conductor disposed within a lead body), with conductive terminations at both ends for electrical connection with the signal generator and one or more electrodes. Implantable medical leads further have requirements for safe interbody use such as tissue compatibility, surgical procedure dynamics, and body fluid accommodation.
Signal generation and muscle tissue stimulation systems have more recently been envisioned for more complex control of a subject's bodily actions. One particularly complex muscular control concept has recently been considered for the purpose of re-teaching a subject how to swallow, the condition of inability to swallow being known as dysphagia. Techniques and methods of stimulating muscles within the neck region of a patient for the purposes of causing specifically determined muscles to react as a swallowing effect are described in PCT Publication No. WO 2004/028433, having a publication date of Apr. 8, 2004. Specifically, by implanting electrodes in two or more muscles of the upper airway musculature and connecting the electrodes with a signal generator that provides coordinate control signals, a swallowing action can be induced in the patient. Other specific techniques and methods are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,725,564; 5,891,185; 5,987,359; 6,104,958; and 6,198,970; all to Freed et al. Other techniques and methods are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/611,365, filed Dec. 15, 2006, and entitled “Method and Apparatus for Assisting Deglutition.” The teachings of each of these references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
For these and other implanted electrode stimulation treatments, conventional leads may not be optimal. For example, a lead implanted (e.g., tunneled) from the patient's chest (e.g., from a stimulation signal generator) to the neck (and thus within tissue of the neck) should allow for the patient's head and neck to perform natural movements (including gross movements such as turning, raising and lowering of the head, etc.), as well as fine movements such as those associated with swallowing. Other bodily regions present similar movement concerns or constraints. With this in mind, and as mentioned above, medical leads include a conductor or conductive element maintained by a lead body (e.g., an insulative covering) with conductive terminations at the ends thereof for electrical connection to other components of the treatment system, such as a signal generator, electrode(s) (e.g., a stimulation electrode, a sensing electrode, etc.) and/or a lead extension. To this end, conventional leads typically exhibit limited longitudinal extensibility (e.g., will not longitudinally “stretch”). As such, when implanted in bodily regions that are normally subjected to movement by the patient, such movements can impart a tension-type force onto the lead (e.g., a lead running from the chest to a muscle or other tissue in the patient's neck will be subjected to a tensioning force with movement (such as tilting) of the neck/head). Due to the limited extensibility of conventional leads, the lead cannot accommodate the desired movement, but instead may overtly resist the tension force. This resistance, in turn, limits the ability of the patient to physically perform the desired movement.
Providing extra length or “slack” in a lead's length as it is connected between a signal generator and an electrode could potentially accommodate physical movements. However, the flexibility of such a lead would initially and uncontrollably allow lead portions to sag or collect within bodily cavities, spaces between tissue layers, etc. Moreover, if lead slack were to gather in a bodily cavity and/or between tissue, lead extension may then be limited or uncomfortable as the lead may slide or be pulled through tissue layers, or from the bodily cavity, in connection with physical movement of the bodily region in question. Resultant discomfort and/or pain can have the effect of limiting the patient's normal movements to the same extent as described above, as the patient will consciously or sub-consciously decide not to perform uncomfortable movements. Also, after a lead is implanted for some time, the lead begins and gradually adheres to one or more of the adjacent tissue, particularly in area(s) of lead sag or collection of excess lead material. As a result, the extra length of any such lead would no longer be available to permit desired extension (in otherwise accommodating desired movement of the bodily region in question).
In light of the above, a need exists for a lead configuration exhibiting enhanced flexibility and extensibility, and methods of making such leads.
Some aspects in accordance with the present disclosure relate to methods of making an implantable lead. The method includes providing first and second tubes, and arranging a segment of the first tube side-by-side with a segment of the second tube along a region of interface. The tubes are forced to a non-linear shape along at least a portion of the region of interface. An adhesive is applied to the portion of the region of interface, and cured. Upon curing, the adhesive bonds the tubes to one another and elastically maintains the non-linear shape in the absence of an external force. A conductive element is disposed within at least one of the tubes. In some embodiments, the non-linear shape is a sigmoid shape, and the method includes arranging the tube segments in a fixture having a structure defining the sigmoid shape and subjecting the portion of the region of interface to a temperature above ambient to promote curing of the adhesive. In other embodiments, the adhesive is separately applied to both opposing major faces defined by the region of interface. In yet other embodiments, the conductive element is disposed within one of the first and second tubes after curing the adhesive, and in other embodiments is disposed prior to curing of the adhesive.
Yet other aspects in accordance with the present disclosure relate to an implantable medical lead including a first tube, a second tube, an adhesive, and at least one conductive element. The tubes are arranged side-by-side, and the adhesive is cured to bond the tubes to one another along at least a portion of a region of interface. In this regard, the portion of the region of interface has a non-linear shape, and the cured adhesive substantially maintains the non-linear shape in the absence of an external force. Finally, the conductive element is disposed within at least one of the first and second tubes. With this construction, the implantable medical lead is longitudinally flexible and extensible in that the non-linear shape is longitudinally, elastically deformable or extensible in the presence of a longitudinal tensioning force (e.g., the non-linear shape transitions toward a more straightened shape), and self-transitions to the non-linear shape upon removal of the tensioning force. In this regard, the cured adhesive imparts a tensile strength to the non-linear shape portion of the lead in establishing a shape memory.
One embodiment of a lead 20 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is shown in
The tubes 22, 24 can assume a variety of forms as known in the implantable medical lead art (e.g., polymer-type tubings), and may or may not be identical. In some embodiments, the tubes 22, 24 are each formed of a silicone rubber material, although other materials selected to exhibit one or more properties desired for a particular implant application or procedure (e.g., softness, lubricity, etc.) are also acceptable. Regardless, the selected material(s) for the tubes 22, 24 is compatible with the selected composition of the adhesive 26 in effectuating a strong bond between the adhesive 26 and the tubes 22, 24 as described below. Further, the material(s) of the tubes 22, 24, and related wall thicknesses (which may or may not be identical and/or uniform for the two tubes 22, 24) and tensile strength (which may or may not be identical for the two tubes 22, 24) are selected, in some embodiments, to readily assume the non-linear shape 34 when subjected to a shaping force or forces during manufacture of the lead 20 as described below. Finally, while the tubes 22, 24 are described below as preferably forming a lumen (shown in
The adhesive 26 can also assume a variety of forms, and is preferably formed of surgically compatible material(s). Further, the adhesive 26 composition is selected in accordance with material(s) of the tubes 22, 24 for effectuating a strong bond in holding the two tubes 22, 24 two one another following manufacture. Finally, and in accordance with some embodiments, the selected adhesive 26 exhibit liquid or semi-liquid or flowable characteristic in a first, solution state (e.g., prior to application to the tubes 22, 24), and a hardened or cured characteristic in a second, cured state in bonding the tubes 22, 24. One acceptable composition of the adhesive 26 is a silicone adhesive, although other forms are also acceptable.
The conductive element(s) 28a and/or 28b can be identical, each forming or defining conductive lead terminations 40, 42 that are electrically coupleable to one or more components of an implantable electrical stimulation and/or sensing system (e.g., electrode(s), lead extender, stimulation control unit or generator, etc.). In this regard, the conductive elements 28a, 28b can comprise any known or developed conductive wire or the like that may be a solid element (e.g., shaft, coil, etc.), and/or be comprised as a stranded conductor as such are well-known. Stranded wire as used for the conductive element 28a, 28b would typically be more flexible as compared with solid wire. However, a solid wire is typically more capable of being deformed to hold a shape and can exhibit a spring-back characteristic that may be useful with leads in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The lead terminations 40, 42 can comprise any known or developed electrical connection that may be appropriate for connection between other electronic components depending on the specific applications. For example, the lead termination(s) 40 and/or 42 may be merely uninsulated wire portions for connection with other electrical connectors, or may comprise the connectors themselves as fixed to the end(s) of the conductive element(s) 28a and/or 28b. One or both of the conductive elements 28a and/or 28b can be flexible so as to not be capable of itself defining the desired non-linear shape 34, or can be configured to exhibit a shape memory characteristic.
While
As described in greater detail below, methods of manufacturing the lead 20 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure readily impart the non-linear shape 34 to the portion 32, with the adhesive 26, upon curing, serving to substantially retain the non-linear shape 34 in an elastically deformable manner (i.e., the lead 20 can transition from the non-linear shape 34 to a more straightened shape in response to an external force, and then self-transition back toward the non-linear shape 34 upon removal of the force). With this in mind, the non-linear shape 34 can assume a wide variety of forms. In general terms, the non-linear shape 34 has or is characterized by, in some embodiments, a plurality of curves or curved sections 60. The curves 60 can be formed to define a repetitive pattern as shown in
Methods of making or manufacturing leads in accordance with the present disclosure can be described with reference to the flow diagram of
Returning to
Arranging the tubes 22, 24 (step 102) and forcing the tubes 22, 24 to the non-linear shape 34 (step 104) can be accomplished in a variety of fashions, and can occur consecutively, substantially simultaneously, or simultaneously. For example, in some embodiments, methods of the present disclosure include provision of a fixture 210 as shown in
Returning to
With reference to
Regardless of whether the tubes 22, 24/adhesive 26 are subjected to an elevated temperature, at optional step 110, an additional amount of the adhesive 26 is applied to the second major face 222. For example, where the method includes use of the fixture 210 (
Following bonding of the tubes 22, 24 with the cured adhesive 26, the resultant composite structure 230 is removed from the fixture 210 (
At step 114, a conductive element is disposed within at least one of the tubes 22 or 24. For example, the tubes 22, 24 can remain with the fixture 210 (
Regardless of the point at which the conductive element(s) 28a, 28b is disposed within the corresponding tube 22, 24, the resultant lead 20 has the shape memory and extensibility characteristics described above due, at least primarily, to the cured adhesive 26. That is to say, while the conductive element(s) 28a, 28b may contribute to shape memory and/or extensibility, the cured adhesive 26 is capable of generating the desired properties alone. In fact, where the conductive element(s) 28a, 28b exhibit a spring-back properties, the cured adhesive 26 resists this inherent force in substantially maintaining the non-linear shape 34 as above. Where desired, one or more additional, optional shaping elements may be included with the lead 20 in some alternative embodiments, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/413,316, filed Apr. 28, 2006 and entitled “Implantable Medical Leads and Lead Assemblies With Improved Flexibility and Extensibility To Facilitate Body Movements.”
Following manufacture and with reference to
One useful application of the lead 20 is as part of an implantable stimulation system 250 as shown in
Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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