Coiled Filars with Longitudinally Straight Ends for Medical Leads

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Solution Overview

Problem

The assembly of medical leads with coiled filars is burdensome due to the need for manual unwinding and selection of filars, leading to increased time and cost, and the stiffness of the proximal end affects insertion and routing within the patient, making it susceptible to movement and damage.

Innovation Solution

Medical leads with coiled filars that transition to longitudinally straight ends, which are coiled at a constant pitch and reside within a central lumen, allowing for easier assembly by exiting through filar passageways aligned with connectors, reducing the need for manual unwinding and improving stiffness control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If filars are coiled within the lead body to offer flexibility and extendibility, then flexibility and extendibility are improved, but the assembly process becomes burdensome requiring manual unwinding and selection

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidassembly process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The filars are pre-configured with longitudinally straight ends before being coiled within the lead body. This preliminary action allows the filars to be easily accessed and attached to connectors during assembly without requiring manual unwinding, thus maintaining flexibility while simplifying the assembly process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the proximal end of the lead is made stiff to facilitate insertion, then insertion ease is improved, but the lead becomes susceptible to movement and damage during patient movement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion easeVSAvoidsusceptibility to movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lead structure implements different mechanical properties at different locations: the proximal end is made stiff to facilitate insertion, while the distal end maintains flexibility for routing and patient movement accommodation. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between insertion ease and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If the whole lead body is made stiff to prevent movement and damage, then reliability is improved, but routing within the patient becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresistance to movementVSAvoidrouting ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lead body is designed with non-uniform mechanical properties where the proximal portion is stiff for reliability and the distal portion is flexible for easy routing. This localized quality distribution allows the lead to resist movement while remaining easy to route within the patient

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8918187B2Medical leads and related systems that include coiled filars with longitudinally straight ends

Publication Date: 2014.12.23 MEDTRONIC INC

AI summary

Medical leads included coiled filars that have longitudinally straight ends. The coiled filars may be coiled at a constant pitch until reaching the point where the filars become longitudinally straight. The coiled filars may reside within a central lumen of the lead body, while the longitudinally straight portions may reside in a region where electrical connectors are present and where filar passageways provide a pathway for the filars to exit the central lumen and bond with the electrical connectors. The coiled filars may be created with longitudinally straight ends using a body that includes longitudinally straight holes that receive the filars and maintain the longitudinally straight configuration while the remaining portion of the filars is being coiled.