Mri compatible implanted electronic medical lead

Abstract

An implantable biocompatible lead that is also compatible with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner for the purpose of diagnostic quality imaging is described. The implantable electrical lead comprises a plurality of coiled insulated conducting wires wound in a first direction forming a first structure of an outer layer of conductors of a first total length with a first number of turns per unit length and a plurality of coiled insulated conducting wires wound in a second direction forming a second structure of an inner layer of conductors of a second total length with a second number of turns per unit length. The first and the second structures are separated by a distance with a layer of dielectric material. The distance and dielectric material are chosen based on the field strength of the MRI scanner. The lead may further comprise a conducting layer formed by coating a material consisting of medium conducting particles in physical contact with each other and a mechanically flexible, biocompatible layer forming an external layer of lead and in contact with body tissue or body fluids.