1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed a medical electrode of the type having an insulating sleeve containing at least one electrical conductor, the conductor providing an electrical connection between a pulse generator at a proximal end of the electrode device and an electrode surface of the electrode device disposed remote from the proximal end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electrode devices of the type generally described above are employed for connecting, for example, a pacemaker or a defibrillator to cardiac tissue in order to sense the functioning of the heart, or to delivery therapeutic electrical energy in vivo to the heart. Generally, known electrode devices are composed of one or more helically wound metal wire conductors running from a contact at the proximal end, connected to the implantable pacemaker or defibrillator, and to an electrode surface disposed at or near the heart. The electrode surface may, for example, be in the form of a relatively small pacing electrode, a larger intracardiac defibrillation electrode, or an epicardiac patch electrode. The known electrode devices can be equipped with different types of sensors which are connected, via a metallic conductor, to the pacemaker or defibrillator.
Because the heart is in constant motion, electrode devices connected to or near the heart are constantly exposed to changes in load and stress. One or more of the metallic conductor wires can fracture, thereby breaking the electrical connection between the electrode surface or a sensor and the contact at the proximal end. If a plurality of metallic wires, electrically insulated from one another, are used, the insulation may sustain abrasion damage caused by the constantly shifting load, resulting in a short-circuit. Additionally, fabrication of the electrode device becomes more complex as the number of incorporated components increases, such as when a plurality of electrode surfaces and sensors must to be connected to single electrode device.