Abstract: A medical lead is configured to be implanted into a patient's body and comprises a lead body, and an electrode coupled to the lead body. The electrode comprises a first section configured to contact the patient's body, and a second section capacitively coupled to the first section and configured to be electrically coupled to the patient's body.

Abstract: A shield located within an implantable medical lead may be terminated in various ways at a metal connector. The shield may be terminated by various joints including butt, scarf, lap, or other joints between insulation layers surrounding the lead and an insulation extension. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection to a single metal connector. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection by passing between an overlapping pair of inner and outer metal connectors. The metal connectors may include features such as teeth or threads that penetrate the insulation layers of the lead. The shield may terminate with a physical and electrical connection by exiting a jacket of a lead adjacent to a metal connector and lapping onto the metal connector.

Abstract: A medical lead is provided for use in a pulse stimulation system of the type which includes a pulse generator for producing electrical stimulation therapy. The lead comprises an elongate insulating body and at least one electrical conductor within the insulating body. The conductor has a proximal end configured to he electrically coupled to the pulse generator and has a DC resistance in the range of 375-2000 ohms. At least one distal electrode is coupled to the conductor.

Abstract: An implantable stimulation system comprises a stimulator for generating electrical stimulation and a conductive stimulation lead having a proximal end electrically coupled to the stimulator, wherein at least a first component of the impedance looking into the stimulator is substantially matched to the impedance of the stimulation lead. At least one distal stimulation electrode is positioned proximate the distal end of the stimulation lead.

Abstract: A stimulation lead is configured to be implanted into a patient's body and includes at least one distal stimulation electrode and at least one conductive filer electrically coupled to the distal stimulation electrode. A jacket is provided for housing the conductive filer and providing a path distributed along at least a portion of the length of the lead for conducting induced RF energy from the filer to the patient's body.

Abstract: A medical lead is provided for use in a pulse stimulation system of the type which includes a pulse generator for producing electrical stimulation therapy. The lead comprises an elongate insulating body and at least one electrical conductor within the insulating body. The conductor has a proximal end configured to be electrically coupled to the pulse generator and has a DC resistance in the range of 375-2000 ohms. At least one distal electrode is coupled to the conductor.

Abstract: A medical lead is provided for use in a pulse stimulation system of the type which includes a pulse generator for producing electrical stimulation therapy. The lead comprises an elongate insulating body and at least one electrical conductor within the insulating body. The conductor has a proximal end configured to be electrically coupled to the pulse generator and has a DC resistance in the range of 375-2000 ohms. At least one distal electrode is coupled to the conductor.

Abstract: An implantable stimulation system comprises a stimulator for generating electrical stimulation and a conductive stimulation lead having a proximal end electrically coupled to the stimulator, wherein at least a first component of the impedance looking into the stimulator is substantially matched to the impedance of the stimulation lead. At least one distal stimulation electrode is positioned proximate the distal end of the stimulation lead.

Abstract: Implantable medical leads include a shield that is guarded at a termination by having a first portion and a second portion of the shield, where the first portion is between a termination of the shield at the second portion and an inner insulation layer that surrounds the filars. The first portion may reduce the coupling of RF energy from the termination of the shield at the second portion to the filars. The first and second portions may be part of a continuous shield, where the first and second portions are separated by an inversion of the shield. The first and second portions may instead be separate pieces. The first portion may be noninverted and reside between the termination at the second portion and the inner layers, or the first portion may be inverted to create first and second sub-portions. The shield termination at the second portion is between the first and second sub-portions.

Abstract: A medical lead is configured to be implanted into a patient's body and comprises a lead body, and an electrode coupled to the lead body. The electrode comprises a first section configured to contact the patient's body, and a second section electrically coupled to the first section and configured to be capacitively coupled to the patient's body.

Abstract: A medical lead is provided for use in a pulse stimulation system of the type which includes a pulse generator for producing electrical stimulation therapy. The lead comprises an elongate insulating body and at least one electrical conductor within the insulating body. The conductor has a proximal end configured to be electrically coupled to the pulse generator and has a DC resistance in the range of 375-2000 ohms. At least one distal electrode is coupled to the conductor.

Abstract: A shield layer is added to an existing lead or lead extension by applying the shield layer to the lead body between the proximal contact and distal electrode of the lead body. The shield layer may be covered with an outer insulative layer. An inner insulative layer may be applied over the lead body prior to adding the shield layer and the outer insulative layer. The shield layer may have a terminator applied to the end of the shield layer to prevent migration of the shield layer through the outer insulative layer. The shield layer may be of various forms including a tubular braided wire structure or a tubular foil. The tubular braided wire structure may be applied to the lead body by utilizing the lead body as a mandrel within a braiding machine.

Abstract: A medical lead is provided for use in a pulse stimulation system of the type which includes a pulse generator for producing electrical stimulation therapy. The lead comprises an elongate insulating body and at least one electrical conductor within the insulating body. The conductor has a proximal end configured to be electrically coupled to the pulse generator and has a DC resistance in the range of 375-2000 ohms. At least one distal electrode is coupled to the conductor.

Abstract: Implantable medical leads are shielded with a braided shield that surrounds an inner layer of insulation. An outer layer of insulation may also surround the shield. The shield is designed with parameters that limit the passage of radio frequency energy, particularly in the magnetic resonance imaging spectrum, to filars that are surrounded by the inner layer of insulation. The braided shield has a plurality of parameters and corresponding ranges. The parameters include one or more of braid angle, wire size, number of wires wound per direction, number of wires in a bundle, wire spacing in an axial dimension, ultimate tensile strength, cross-sectional wire shape, material, and distance from termination to a nearest electrode. Additional parameters of the lead related to the shielding also include one or more of inner insulation thickness, and outer insulation thickness.

Abstract: Grounding of a shield that is located in an implantable medical lead may be done in many ways. The ground pathway may couple to the shield at a point that is outside of a header of an implantable medical device to which the implantable medical lead is attached. The ground pathway may couple to the shield at a point that is within the header of the implantable medical device. The ground pathway may terminate at the metal can of the implantable medical device. As another option, the ground pathway may terminate at a ground plate that is mounted to the header. The ground pathway may be direct current coupled from the shield to the can or ground plate. Alternatively, the ground pathway may include one or more capacitive couplings that provide a pathway for induced radio frequency current.

Abstract: A system may include an active implantable medical device implantable in a body of a patient and a patient programmer for the AIMD. The patient programmer may be configured to obtain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatibility information relating to compatibility of the AIMD with an MRI modality.

Abstract: A lead configured to be implanted into a patient's body comprises a lead body and a conductive filer positioned within the lead body and having a distal portion. An electrode is electrically coupled to the lead body and comprises a stimulation portion, a bobbin, and at least one coil of wire wound on the bobbin and electrically coupled between the stimulation portion and the distal end region to form an inductor between the distal end region and the stimulation portion.

Abstract: Implantable medical leads and implantable lead extensions include a shield. The implantable medical lead is coupled to the implantable lead extension. Stimulation electrodes of the implantable medical lead contact stimulation connectors within a housing of the implantable extension to establish a conductive pathway for stimulation signals from filars of the implantable extension to filars of the implantable medical lead. Continuity is established between the shield of the implantable medical lead and the implantable extension by providing a radio frequency conductive pathway within the housing. The radio frequency conductive pathway extends from a shield of the implantable extension to a shield connector that contacts a shield electrode of the implantable medical lead. The radio frequency conductive pathway may have various forms such as a jumper wire or an extension of the shield within the implantable extension.

Abstract: Implantable medical electrical leads, kits, systems and methods of use thereof for electrically stimulating the spinal cord with a plurality of electric stimulation leads. Directional stimulation electrodes are disposed along the distal end portions of the leads to form an electrode array in the epidural space of a patient with at least first, second and third directional stimulation electrodes being oriented at determined angular orientations relative to the spinal cord or each other. The stimulation electrodes may be programmed to create a tripole in which at least the first, second and third directional stimulation electrodes are active.

Abstract: An implantable stimulation system comprises a stimulator for generating electrical stimulation and a conductive stimulation lead having a proximal end electrically coupled to the stimulator, wherein at least a first component of the impedance looking into the stimulator is substantially matched to the impedance of the stimulation lead. At least one distal stimulation electrode is positioned proximate the distal end of the stimulation lead.