Patent ID: 7167759

Claim:
A pre-bent electrode line, having a limited capacity to constrict in any allowable direction, for an implantable electrostimulation device for insertion into a body vessel, said electrode line comprising: at least one electrode for stimulation or sensing of body tissue; a longitudinal axis; a distal end, wherein said electrode line is of a partially-bent configuration at least in a region of said distal end when no voltage is applied to structural elements within said electrode line; a first limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements, having only a limited capacity to constrict, on a first side of said electrode line; a second limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements, having only a limited capacity to constrict, on a second side of said electrode line, said second side being directly opposite of said first side; and a voltage source connected to said electrostrictive polymer structural elements, wherein application of a first voltage from said voltage source to said first limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements causes said electrode line to straighten from said partially-bent configuration to a straight configuration, and wherein application of a second voltage from said voltage source to said second limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements causes said electrode line to bend from said partially-bent configuration to a bent configuration having a tighter bending radius than said partially-bent configuration, and wherein said electrode line relaxes to said partially-bent configuration from said straight configuration when said first voltage from said voltage source is removed from said first limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements, and wherein said electrode line relaxes to said partially-bent configuration from said bent configuration when said second voltage from said voltage source is removed from said second limited number of electrostrictive polymer structural elements.