Patent ID: 8644953

Claim:
A therapy delivery element configured for at least partial insertion in a living body, the therapy delivery element comprising: a conductor assembly comprising a plurality of conductors; an electrode assembly located at a distal end of the conductor assembly, the electrode assembly comprising a plurality of electrodes that are electrically coupled to the conductors; a connector assembly located at a proximal end of the conductor assembly, the connector assembly comprising a plurality of electrical contacts that are electrically coupled to the conductors; a plurality of fibers comprising a braided structure surrounding the conductor assembly along a braided section, the braided structure comprising a distal end attached to the electrode assembly and a free floating proximal end located near the connector assembly; and an outer tubing surrounding the braided structure along an outer tubing section, the outer tubing comprising a proximal end attached to the connector assembly and a distal end attached to the braided structure near the electrode assembly or to the electrode assembly, wherein the free floating proximal end of the braided structure is unattached to, but disposed within, the outer tubing, and wherein: with a proximal tension force applied to the connector assembly, an elongation of the therapy delivery element substantially corresponds to an elongation of the outer tubing and the conductor assembly; with the proximal tension force applied to the free floating proximal end, the elongation of the therapy delivery element substantially corresponds to an elongation of the braided structure; and the elongation of the therapy delivery element with the proximal tension force applied to the connector assembly is greater than the elongation of the therapy delivery element with the proximal tension force applied to the free floating proximal end.