The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 15, 1985
Filed:
Aug. 19, 1982
Lynn Crawford, Saugus, CA (US);
William A McArthur, Saugus, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An implantable stimulation electrode having differing stiffness characteristics along its length. An endocardial electrode (20) is disclosed which includes a spirally-wound, unifilar, continuous portion (50) extending the entire length of the electrode and a stiffening portion (52) which extends for only a portion of the electrode length. The spirals of the stiffening portion (52) and the continuous portion (50) are interleaved in a juxtapositional relationship with respect to each other to form a bifilar section (26), the remainder of the electrode being a unifilar section (28). In the bifilar section (26), each spiral is wound at twice the pitch of the spirals in the unifilar section (28). The bifilar section (26) has a greater stiffness than the unifilar section. In a specific embodiment disclosed, an atrial J electrode is formed in which the bifilar section includes the J portion of the electrode where stiffness is needed. Thus, more flexibility is provided for most of the electrode length where stress concentrations occur, whereas the J portion has additional stiffness for maintaining the electrode in a desired location within the heart atrium (36). A further feature of the disclosed electrode (20) is that the diameter of the bifilar and unifilar sections can be chosen so that the overall electrode has essentially the same diameter as the unifilar section, thus resulting in an electrode having substantially the same cross-sectional profile over its entire length.