Termination of a shield within an implantable medical lead

摘要

A shield located within an implantable medical lead may be terminated in various ways at a metal connector. The shield may be terminated by various joints including butt, scarf, lap, or other joints between insulation layers surrounding the lead and an insulation extension. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection to a single metal connector. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection by passing between an overlapping pair of inner and outer metal connectors. The metal connectors may include features such as teeth or threads that penetrate the insulation layers of the lead. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection by exiting a jacket of a lead adjacent to a metal connector and lapping onto the metal connector.

主权项

1. An implantable medical lead, comprising:
an inner insulation layer having a proximal end; an outer metal ring about the inner insulation layer in proximity to the proximal end; an outer insulation layer that surrounds the inner insulation layer and that terminates prior to the proximal end of the inner insulation layer; a shield between the inner insulation layer of the jacket and the outer insulation layer of the jacket, the shield extending beyond the termination of the outer insulation layer with a portion of the shield lapping onto the metal ring; an insulation extension layer bonded onto the end of the inner insulation layer; and a replacement outer insulation layer over the inner insulation layer adjacent to where the shield meets the metal ring and where the outer insulation layer is not present, the replacement outer insulation layer extending beyond the end of the inner insulation layer to also extend over the insulation extension layer, the replacement outer insulation layer being bonded directly to an end of the outer insulation layer where the shield meets the metal ring.