Gore Enterprise Holdings, Inc.

Louis J Smith

Robert C Krall

William Hammond Wiley

Peter J Zeller

Bruce M Steinhaus

An implantable electrode provided with a thin, porous, wettable polymeric covering. The electrode covering of the present invention tightly conforms to the external profile of an electrode, which minimizes air gaps and voids. The electrode covering is relatively thin, preferably less than 0.13 mm thick, and is treated to enhance rapid wetting by bodily fluids. The combination of minimal air gaps, tight conformance to the electrode, wettability and porosity of the thin covering, allows repeated, high energy electrical discharges to be transmitted without significant bubble formation, sparking or degradation of the covering. In addition, the electrode covering of the present invention has pore sizes tailored to minimize cellular ingrowth and tissue attachment thereby allowing a less traumatic removal of the electrode after implantation if extraction becomes necessary, for example due to infection or electrode dislodgment.

Defibrillation electrode cover

A layered electrode having a large tissue contact area of the portion of the electrode that is electrically active and providing low polarization losses, high pacing impedance and low chronic stimulation voltage. In a fundamental embodiment, the electrode tip has an outer layer of microporous material which is permeable to conductive body fluids which covers a layer of insulating material which is provided with at least one perforation through the thickness of the material. The at least one perforation provides a localized, high current density path. Both of these layers in turn cover the exterior surface of an electrically conductive, preferably metal, electrode body. The present invention is, in a preferred embodiment, a multiple layered device having, in sequence, a) an external layer promoting tissue attachment, b) a cell exclusion layer, which prevents tissue ingrowth into the subsequent underlying layers while allowing passage of conductive fluids, c) a third layer of substantially electrical insulating material with selected or tailored perforations or through holes which provide high current density paths, d) a fourth layer that contains a electrically conductive material of high surface area and e) a fifth metallic layer of a high surface area electrode.

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Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America

Louis J Smith