Patent ID: 9078690
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: A61B,A61M,A61N

Abstract:
1. A spinal cord stimulator lead for implanting into an epidural space of a human or animal subject for treatment, the epidural space having a tissue obstruction, the stimulator lead comprising: a shaft including a longitudinal axis, a distal-end portion having a distal tip that is transverse to the shaft axis, and at least one portion that is flexible; at least one contact positioned on the shaft and adapted to deliver therapeutic electrical impulses to a treatment area within the epidural space; a first lumen extending through at least a portion of the shaft and including a first discharge outlet in the distal tip of the shaft, wherein the first lumen carries a first pressurized fluid and the first outlet discharges the first pressurized fluid directly onto the tissue obstruction to pressure-ablate at least a pilot opening therein; a second lumen extending through at least a portion of the shaft and including a second discharge outlet in the distal-end portion of the shaft, wherein the second lumen carries a second pressurized fluid and the second outlet discharges the second pressurized fluid; and a distensible balloon positioned at the distal-end portion of the shaft, in fluid communication with the second lumen and the second outlet, and positionable within the pilot opening in the tissue obstruction, wherein delivery of the second pressurized fluid into the balloon inflates the balloon within the pilot opening to radially compress the tissue obstruction to enlarge the pilot opening to form a final opening in the tissue obstruction through which the contacts can pass to the treatment area in the epidural space for delivering the therapeutic electrical impulses, wherein the shaft includes a contact portion to which the contact is mounted and positioned proximally relative to the distal-end portion, and the distal-end portion of the shaft has a smaller diameter than the contact portion, wherein the stimulator lead can be guided forward until the balloon is positioned within the pilot opening in the tissue obstruction by advancing into the pilot opening at least a portion of the distal-end portion and the balloon but not the contact portion of the shaft.