Patent ID: 8671566

Claim:
A method of fabricating a stimulation lead for applying electrical pulses to tissue of a patient, the method comprising: providing a lead body assembly, the lead body assembly comprising: first insulative material defining at least one interior passageway extending from a proximal portion to a distal portion of the lead body assembly; a plurality of conductors; and a plurality of electrodes at the distal portion providing at least the distal portion of the lead body assembly with second insulative material to form an intermediate assembly, heating the first and second insulative materials of the lead body assembly, wherein (i) the first and second insulative materials have consistent mechanical properties such that the heating causes the first insulative material to fuse together with the second insulative material and (ii) heated insulative material fills the at least one interior passageway at the distal portion with insulative material; and removing insulative material in excess of a prescribed diameter from at least the distal portion of the intermediate assembly.