Patent ID: 8204569

Claim:
A method of providing electrical stimulation of body tissue at a stimulation site employing an implantable pulse generator comprising: providing an implantable medical lead comprising: at least one electrode; a lead body; at least one modifiable portion that is coaxial with the lead body and that provides an interconnection of two adjacent non-modifiable portions of the implantable lead, the at least one modifiable portion being one continuous material providing an outer surface from a first of the two adjacent non-modifiable portions to a second of the two adjacent non-modifiable portions, wherein the at least one modifiable portion can exist in both a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the second configuration exhibits a greater resistance to movement of the lead within the body tissue than does the first configuration, and wherein the first configuration is exhibited when an external force is applied to the outer surface of the modifiable portion and at least one proximal connector element formed in a connector array in a proximal segment of the lead body; applying an external force to at least a portion of the outer surface of the at least one modifiable portion of the lead such that the at least one modifiable portion exists in the first configuration; while applying the external force to at least the portion of the outer surface of the at least one modifiable portion such that the at least one modifiable portion exists in the first configuration, percutaneously introducing the implantable medical lead so that the at least one electrode is in contact with the stimulation site; after percutaneously introducing the implantable medical lead so that the at least one electrode is in contact with the stimulation site, removing the external force from the at least a portion of the outer surface of the at least one modifiable portion of the lead; and coupling the at least one proximal connector element with the implantable pulse generator.