Patent ID: 7168165

Claim:
A method of preparing a stranded wire conductor for fabrication into an electrical medical lead of the type comprising a lead body having a lead body length and lead body lumen extending between further proximal and distal lead components comprising the steps of: providing a stranded wire conductor formed of a plurality of wire strands formed of one or more conductive material; cutting the stranded wire conductor into a conductor length, whereby the stranded wire conductor has a stranded wire cut end; coupling the cut stranded wire conductor to a first discharge terminal of a weld energy source; coupling a ground plate to a second discharge terminal of the weld energy source; and initiating discharge of weld energy from the weld energy source between the stranded wire cut end and the ground plate inducing heat in the wire strands at the stranded wire cut end and the ground plate sufficient to transfer conductive material from the ground plate to the wire strands and fuse at least a portion of the wire strands together and inhibit unraveling of the wire strands at the fused stranded wire cut end to facilitate insertion of the stranded wire conductor through the lead body lumen and making an electrical and mechanical connection of the fused stranded wire cut end to a further lead component.