Patent ID: 8014873

Claim:
An introducer for implanting an electrical stimulation lead to enable electrical stimulation of nerve tissue, comprising: an outer sheath to accommodate insertion of the electrical stimulation lead through the outer sheath, the outer sheath operable to be inserted into a human body near the nerve tissue, the outer sheath including at least one ridge positioned at a first end of the outer sheath, the at least one ridge being at least partially circumferentially positioned about the first end of the outer sheath, the at least one ridge for providing an indication to a user that the outer sheath has contacted a part of the anatomy; and an inner penetrator removably housed within the outer sheath and comprising (i) an inner channel configured to accommodate a guide wire, (ii) a tip end having a cross-sectional shape and size substantially conforming to a cross-sectional shape and size of the guide wire, (iii) a body region having a cross-sectional shape and size substantially conforming to a cross-sectional shape and size of the outer sheath, and (iv) one or more transition regions substantially connecting the tip end with the body region; wherein the inner penetrator is configured to be advanced along the guide wire to a desired location relative to the nerve tissue and removed from the outer sheath leaving the outer sheath substantially in position for insertion of the electrical stimulation lead through the outer sheath into position proximate the nerve tissue; wherein the one or more transition regions include a tip transition region extending from the tip end of the inner penetrator at least a portion of the distance toward the body region of the inner penetrator, and during the advancement of the introducer along the guide wire, the tip transition region flexes to substantially follow flexures in the guide wire, the tip transition region being formed from a particular material and having a wall thickness that decreases toward the tip end of the inner penetrator.